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| ALAN JACKSON
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| The Ultimate Country Wedding!
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Checkin' in with the Classics | | | Host Bill Cody brings you classic videos from the '80s when country music videos first came on the scene and '90s. Artists like George Jones, Reba, Alan Jackson, Merle Haggard, Alabama, The Judds, Dwight Yoakam, Hank Williams, Jr., George Strait, Oak Ridge Boys & Lorrie Morgan...to name a few. PLUS, special guests join Bill each week to reminisce and share stories! GAC Classic airs 7 days a week! Visit the GAC Classic page for show times and upcoming guests!
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Faith Hill 's New Release | | | I |
Het Weer bericht voor de Week | | | |
2005 CMA Awards: Hosted by Brooks & | | | Country is taking over the Big Apple, and CMT.com will be on hand for all the excitement. Get complete coverage.
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New York City Goes Crazy for Willie Nels | | |
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ShaniaTwain Receives Canada's Highest Ho | | | |
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Country's Greatest Greatest Hits of 2005 | | | |
Upgrade MSN Messenger with SweetIM - Fre | | | Download SweetIM here
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Phoenix, Witherspoon Nominated for Oscar | | | Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon were nominated for Oscars on Tuesday morning (Jan. 31) as best actor and best actress for their roles as Johnny Cash and June Carter in Walk the Line. However, the film was not nominated for best picture. The Oscars will be presented March 5 in Los Angeles. The film won three Golden Globes on Jan. 16. Witherspoon accepted a Screen Actors Guild award for best actress on Sunday (Jan. 29). The film was also nominated for achievement in costume design, film editing and sound mixing.
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| What is "COUNTRY"
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| Don't miss even one exciting episode! Watch Nashville Star every TUESDAY at 10pm ET on USA Network! |
March 13, 2006 Wynonna Maps Out Career P | | | |
Bruce Springsteen Goes Country | | | This legendary rocker assembles his latest work, We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions, around country fiddle, banjo and Tejano accordion. Log on to hear his new roots-country direction. |
Shania Twain Up! Live in Chicago | | | Shania Twain Up! Live in Chicago Show Time
Sun., Jun. 4 3:00 PM ET/PT
Remind Me TV Schedule
CMT is putting you in the front row for a great night of entertainment with country superstar Shania Twain. Shania Twain Up! Live In Chicago was filmed in Chicago's Grant Park in front of over... |
Wynonna, Ashley Judd, WNBA to Support Yo | | | Wynonna and Ashley Judd will partner with the Washington Mystics on July 27 in observance of the WNBA team's YouthAIDS Day. The famous sisters are both ambassadors for the organization that uses media and pop culture to help stop the spread of HIV/AIDS. Wynonna will perform a free concert after the Mystics' game against the Chicago Sky at the Verizon Center in Washington D.C. The Mystics are giving away 1,000 game tickets to youth and their families, in addition to sponsoring an afternoon forum about HIV/AIDS.
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Freddy Fender Battling Lung Cancer | | | Freddy Fender is resting at his home near Corpus Christi, Texas, after doctors found more tumors on his lungs. Diagnosed with two cancerous tumors in January, a recent scan discovered nine more. Fender, 69, has canceled all performances. Fender first found national success in 1960 when his original recording of "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" became a pop hit. As a country artist, his 1975 single, "Before the Next Teardrop Falls," won a CMA award for single of the year. His other No. 1 hits include "Secret Love" and "You'll Lose a Good Thing" and an updated version of "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights." He has also won three Grammys in the Latin category. In a story published Wednesday (Aug. 2) in Corpus Christi's Caller-Times newspaper Fender said, "I feel very comfortable in my life. I'm one year away from 70, and I've had a good run. I really believe I'm OK. In my mind and in my heart, I feel OK. I cannot complain that I haven't lived long enough, but I'd like to live longer."
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Wynonna to Release New Music, Book, Sing | | | Wynonna will release a live CD, DVD and her autobiography on Sept. 27. The CD and DVD, Her Story: Scenes From a Lifetime, will be packaged separately. Her book, Coming Home to Myself, was co-written with Patsi Bale Cox and will be published by New American Library, a division of Penguin Books. Wynonna will also release a new single, titled "Attitude," to country radio on Sept. 27. She co-wrote the song with Big & Rich's John Rich.
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| After a few days with Reba McEntire, we can see why she is the hardest-working woman in the entertainment business today.
We start off with a homecoming of sorts with McEntire playing the Houston...
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| BIOGRAPHY OF... GEORGE JONES
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Special Memorial To The First lady of Co | | |
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| KENNY ROGERS
42 Ultimate Hits
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Kenny, Keith, Gretchen and Friends at AC | | | CMT Hot Dish is a weekly feature written by former Country |
The Top Country Song Of The Year (1945 - | | | |
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Faith Hill, John Rich Showered With Hono | | | |
| Calimero-marketing is nog onder Constructie ! |
| She's got a knack for picking songs that reach into your heart and leave you better for the listening. Kathy Mattea wraps her silvery alto around Christmas favorite "Mary, Did You Know?" plus new songs from Right Out of Nowhere. Happy Holidays! |
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Dolly Parton secured an Oscar nomination for best original song on Tuesday morning (Jan. 31) for "Travelin' Thru" from the film Transamerica. Parton wrote the song specifically for the film which is about a transsexual and her son. In press materials for the film's soundtrack, Parton says, "It's a remarkable movie that touches you in every single place of human emotion." This is her second career Oscar nomination. She also made the list for writing the title track to 1980's 9 to 5. This year's other original song nominees are "In the Deep" from Crash and "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" from Hustle & Flow.
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Sheryl Crow Feels Lucky That Country Emb | | | .... And If It Makes Her Happy, It Can't Be That Bad
Most rock stars would bristle at being labeled "country" -- but not Sheryl Crow.
Most rock stars would bristle at being labeled "country" -- but not Sheryl Crow.
This year, she earned a Grammy nomination for collaborating with Brooks & Dunn and Vince Gill. When she released The Very Best of Sheryl Crow in 2003, she included a country mix for "The First Cut Is the Deepest," which cracked the Top 40 of Billboard's country singles chart. She did even better with "Picture," a duet with Kid Rock that climbed to No. 21 and secured the unlikely duo a CMA nomination.
"I feel really, really lucky that country has embraced me, because my own field of music has gone the way of more beats and less about songwriting," Crow told CMT.com during a recent interview in Nashville. "I've been really lucky that country music has embraced me and has not ruled me out. For me, it gives me a lot of hope. At least country music still loves songwriting and still loves good music. I hope I can keep country fans interested."
Crow describes her latest album, Wildflower, as a "straight-up art record," and she released it in advance of a pop album she had been working on. "And now that I've compiled what would have been the pop record, I realize it's probably more pop than what I'd like to put out," she says.
"For my next record, I'm really going to concentrate on making a record that is my version of country music. You know, I fear that it's going to be more country than what is getting played at country radio. I really am a purist about country music. I loved, and still do love, the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers and the old stuff -- as well as Willie Nelson, who I think is one of the best songwriters in every format."
But in the meantime, Crow created Wildflower to evoke an intimate, singer-songwriter vibe, drawing on inspiration from Neil Young and especially Elton John. She even borrows a phrase from "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" for "Always on Your Side," an elegant, Elton-esque ballad about remaining loyal, even when the other person has moved on.
Envisioning a whole album of similar piano-based songs, she had originally asked John to produce the project. However, she wound up leaving the U.S. to support former fiancé Lance Armstrong at the Tour de France -- a significant decision that informed the feel of the album.
"There is a lot of vulnerability when you first get into a relationship," she says. "What it forces you to do is really meet yourself. It forces you to look at some of your imperfections. The vulnerability that you feel in your relationship is not only the excitement of love but the possibility of it not working out -- and that fear.
"But then compound that with ... what was going on in the world at the time, which was very chaotic, as it is now. A lot of that stuff came into play, as well as being in Europe and not really knowing anybody. Basically, what I had was my relationship and the news."
Even the sophisticated album artwork -- an edgy, curvaceous mix of blacks and greens -- symbolizes her frame of mind found within Wildflower. Even thought the content is "really heavy," she says wanted the visual aspect "to feel somewhat whimsical, because there's the juxtaposition ... of beauty and destruction, peace and chaos, and all those come into play. As you get older, you're much more aware of it."
Asked whether current music fans generally miss out on a piece of someone's artistry if they only download songs -- but skip the packaging -- Crow is quick to answer.
"Absolutely," she says. "I mean, I was a kid that knew every musician who played on every record, and part of the social experience of getting a new record was having all your friends come over and see the album cover for the first time and holding it in your hand and how it felt and all the little things that you picked out of the artwork. That was part of the experience of the music."
During a two-night stand at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium last month, Crow roared through a two-hours performance that included highlights from Wildflower and other material from her impressive career. The last time she played there was during a Johnny Cash tribute concert in 2004 when she sang "Hurt" for Cash's grieving family and admirers.
"That place has its own personality," she says of the Ryman and its significance. "When people come to see music there, they are aware of that and are absorbed by it and the unbelievable history that it has. You can't stand on that stage and not reflect on who's stood on that very spot before you. When you play there, you're inviting people into your intimate space, into your living room atmosphere. I think it's one of the great places to play in America." |
Sheryl Crow Recovering From Breast Cance | | | Recovering from breast cancer surgery, Sheryl Crow has postponed the remainder of her North American tour with singer-songwriter Jack Ingram. Crow underwent "minimally invasive" surgery on Wednesday (Feb. 22) in Los Angeles, according to her publicist. Although she will receive radiation treatment as a precaution, Crow's physicians say her prognosis is excellent. "I am joining the more than 200,000 women who will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year," Crow said in a statement on her official Web site. "We are a testament to the importance of early detection and new treatments. I encourage all women everywhere to advocate for themselves and for their future. See your doctor, and be proactive about your health." The tour was scheduled to continue through April, and her itinerary also included an April 7 taping of VH1 Classic's Decades Rock Live! with Vince Gill, Ryan Adams and Robert Randolph. |
| With seven girls left on the bus the competition is really starting to get moving as they leave behind the city of San Antonio and the first finalist to be cut by Lil. As Cyndi, Chantel and Lil continue...
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Barbara Mandrell Tribute Album Includes | | | Kenny Chesney and Reba McEntire have recorded "I Was Country (When Country Wasn't Cool)" for a Barbara Mandrell tribute album due Oct. 10 on BNA Records. The project also features Alabama's Randy Owen ("Years"), Dierks Bentley ("Fast Lanes and Country Roads"), Terri Clark ("Sleeping Single in a Double Bed"), Sara Evans ("Crackers"), Lorrie Morgan ("That's What Friends Are For"), Willie Nelson and Shelby Lynne ("This Time I Almost Made It") and Brad Paisley ("In Times Like These"). Mandrell won the CMA entertainer of the year award in 1980 and 1981. She retired from live performance in 1997. |
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CMT The Best Country Award s of the World & hier kan je alles vinden wat met country te maken heeft special alle Awards worden daar uitgegeven, van oud tot nieuwe country artiesten ,Dolly Parton,willy Nelson, en vele anderen
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| NEAL McCOY: THE REAL McCOY IS BACK…AGAIN
direction="up" scrollAmount='1' style="width:'160';height:'200'">From the first minute he arrived on the national scene and people began to notice his natural charisma and dynamic power as a live performer, Neal McCoy has been the “real McCoy” when it comes to world class entertainers.
He’s showed that power on the concert stage and on the country charts from the day he signed his first record contract in 1987 to owning his own record label today. He’s established himself as an unrivaled live performer, and a hit recording artist that is always just one hit away from national prominence. And, he’s back in the spotlight again thanks to his rollicking hit, “Billy’s Got His Beer Goggles On,” and the hilarious video that supports the first single from Neal’s latest album (out 8/23), That’s Life.”
The new album features McCoy’s most expressive, wide-ranging vocals ever. From the novelty smash “Billy’s Got His Beer Goggles On,” to the heart-tugging romance of “You Let Me Be the Hero,” with guest shots ranging from his playful duo with former mentor Charley Pride on “You’re My Jamaica” to the raw yet emotional recitation from General Tommy Franks on “Last of a Dying Breed,” That’s Lifemakes clear what legions of fans already know, he is the “real McCoy.” Neal’s salute to Charley Pride was no passing gesture, McCoy feels he owes the legend a lot.
THE BEGINNING
Charley Pride always promised to "pass it on," to help some worthy newcomer along. Neal McCoy was one that Pride passed it on to, when he discovered him and helped him to get a record contract in 1987. It took until 1993 to finally break out on top with his first big hit, "No Doubt About It." One of country music's most in demand live performers he asserted himself in the mid '90s as a hit recording act as well.
McCoy (b. Hubert Neal McGauhey, Jr., Jacksonville, Texas, July 30, 195 grew up in a musical family. His sister played various instruments, and his father and mother both sang.(McCoy's mother is from the Philippines, giving McCoy the distinction of becoming the first singer of Philippine descent to become a country star) . "In our house I learned every style of music imaginable from gospel to jazz and rock," McCoy recalls. In college he joined a gospel quartet as well as playing in various "garage bands."
His break came after he moved to Longview, Texas where he worked a day job in a shoe store, and because of his habit of singing while he stocked the store shelves, he became known on the block as the "singing shoe salesman." He entered a talent contest at a Dallas club called the Bell Star. He didn't win the contest, but one of the judges was a representative from Charley Pride's management company. He was so impressed with him, they took McCoy on as a client. He began opening Pride's shows, and Pride and company guided him to his first record contract with 16th Avenue Records. He had changed his last name from McGauhey to McGoy, and that's the name that appeared on his first chart record in '88. He changed his name again in '90 when he signed with Atlantic Records as "McCoy."
He had moved to Atlantic after a series of low charting 16th Avenue releases. Between 1988 and his first top forty "Where Forever Begins" in '93. It had been five long years between his chart debut and any kind of breakthrough. In an era when country performers had just one or two chances to prove themselves, it was a tribute to McCoy's talent that his labels had remained patient. "It wasn't Neal's fault. We simply hadn't found the right songs for him to sing," admitted Atlantic's Chief, Rick Blackburn.
When he wasn't scoring hits, McCoy sustained his career because of his exceptional ability as a stage performer. A true natural on stage, he is charismatic and spontaneous, with an ability to go from singing a country standard, to a crowd pleasing rap version of the theme from "The Beverly Hillbillies" TV show. McCoy often stole the show as an opening act and earned standing ovations without a hit song to his credit. "I did have some acts who didn't want to hire me again to open for them," he confesses.
The “Beverly Hillbillies” rap song is a cool extra on Neal’s new album, recorded live to capture the joy that brings to McCoy’s fans.
In '93, he followed up the first top forty with a number 26 called "Now I Pray for Rain." That song set him up for his next release, "No Doubt About It," that became his first number one song in early '94. That was followed by "Wink," a song that spent four weeks at number one becoming one of the biggest hits of the year, and assuring McCoy's place as a top act of the '90s. "I owe everything to Charley Pride who gave me a chance and taught me so much about being a performer. I had a lot of fans stick with me for a long time before I gave them hits, so it was a good feeling to finally break through," says McCoy.
That’s why he includes a version of Pride’s hit, “You’re My Jamaica”(#1, ’79) that he turned into a duet with Charley himself.
“That’s the beauty of having your own label is that you can do stuff like this without going through a lot of stuff. You just get on the phone to Charley and I said, ‘Charley, you’ve been a great friend to me, you’re the one that got me started in country music, and I want to pay homage to you and I’ve recorded this song of yours, “You’re My Jamaica,”…and by the way, would you record the song with me?’ And Charley said, ‘Yea, I’d love to.’”
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The 'Up Close' section is designed to help you get more familiar with Vince Gill, his background, awards, charity involvement, and much more. We start with his bio below, and more "must know" info linked on your left.
Vince Gill is the ambassador of country music.
This isn’t his official title, of course, but it’s the role he occupies–whether he’s picking bluegrass with his boyhood heroes backstage at the Grand Ole Opry or trading jazz licks with the house band on The Late Show with David Letterman. Gill’s prodigious talent, legendary compassion and quick wit have made him the face that country music likes to show the world.
Vincent Grant Gill was born April 12, 1957, in Norman, Oklahoma, the son of a federal judge and a homemaker. By the time he was in high school, he had become proficient on the banjo and guitar and was playing in his first bluegrass band. After graduation, he turned professional, working with such acts as the Bluegrass Alliance, Boone Creek, Sundance and, most famously, Pure Prairie League. For a time, Gill also toured with Rodney Crowell’s high-octane backup band, the Cherry Bombs. In 1983, he signed to RCA Records, where he scored his first solo country hits, among them "Oklahoma Borderline" and "Cinderella."
Gill moved to MCA Records in 1989. The following year, he achieved his big breakthrough with "When I Call Your Name," which won the Country Music Association’s Single of the Year award. Since then, he has won 17 more CMA honors, including Entertainer of the Year twice and Song of the Year four times. To date, Gill has earned more CMA trophies than anyone else in history. He has hosted the nationally televised CMA awards show since 1992.
Since 1990, Gill has walked away with 14 Grammy awards, a total that ties him with the late Chet Atkins for the most Grammys won by a country artist. In 1991, he was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry and remains one of that revered radio show’s most active members. As a recording artist, Gill has racked up sales in excess of 22 million. His high, pure tenor voice and unerring sense of harmony, have made him a favorite duet recording partner for dozens of fellow artists–from Ralph Stanley to Barbra Streisand.
Active in a wide array of charities, Gill’s favorite cause is the annual "The Vinny" pro-celebrity golf tournament, which he established in 1993 to raise money for the Junior Golf program. In 2001, the TNN & CMT Country Weekly awards show honored Gill for his artistry and many good works with its Career Achievement Award.
Gill is married to pop music singer Amy Grant. His current album is Next Big Thing
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Freddy Fender has had three successful careers already-as a Hispanic/pop star in the late 50's, a country pop star in the 70's, and a member of the Grammy award-winning Texas Tornadoes in the 90's. With his signing to Warner/Reprise, he begins a new chapter in an amazing career that spans nearly four decades.
Freddy Fender was born Baldemar Huerta in the Rio Grande Valley town of San Benito, Texas. He grew up in a barrio that, he is quick to point out, was not a crowded ghetto but just a poor Hispanic neighborhood. The first music he played was Tejano, conjunto, Tex-Mex- the rambunctious combination of polka (from the German settlers of Texas) and traditional Mexican music- he learned by watching and listening at weddings and other events in the neighborhood. In 1947, at the age of 10, he made his first appearance on radio, singing a current hit "Paloma Querida", on KGBT in Harlingen, Texas. Another performance of "Paloma Querida" (literally translated "dove" and "loved one") won him a tub of food worth about $10- first prize in an amateur talent contest at the Grand Theater in Harlingen.
At the same time, Fender was getting a first-hand education in the blues. His parents were migrant workers and he traveled with them during the picking season. Many of his fellow workers were black, and some of them, Fender remembers, were good enough singers and musicians to have been professionals. The blues music he heard in the fields would become an integral part of his own unique style.
At 16, he joined the Marines for a three year hitch. After his discharge, he started playing Texas honky tonks and dance halls. Two of his first records, Spanish versions of Elvis' "Don't Be Cruel" and Harry Belafonte's "Jamaica Farewell" on Falcon Records went to Number One in Mexico and South America in 1957. In 1959, Hollywood called him -- not to act but to sign to Imperial Records, the label of such greats as Fats Domino. In hopes of reaching the gringo audience, he changed his name, taking Fender from the headstock of his Electric guitar, and picking Freddy simply because it was alliterative.
In 1960, "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" became a national hit, it also proved to be prophetic for Fender. Early stardom was stolen that year when he and his bass player were arrested and sent to prison for possession of two marijuana cigarettes. Three years later, Fender surfaced in New Orleans, where he spent the next five years further developing his interest in rhythm & blues and Cajun funk. By 1969, Fender had returned home to "The Valley". He worked full time as a mechanic, enrolled at Del Mar College and played music only on weekends.
In 1974, he cut Before The Next Teardrop Falls" in Houston. The master was bought by ABC-Dot, and on April 8, 1975, it reached the Number One spot on Billboard's pop and county charts, the first time in history an artist's first single reached Number One on both charts. His remake of "Wasted Days And Wasted Nights," essentially the same arrangement that had been considered rock and roll the first time around, followed "Teardrop. . " to Number One on the country charts, and his third release, "Secret Love," and fourth release "You'll Lose A Good Thing" also hit the top spot. The album went multi-platinum. Billboard named him Best Male Artist of 1975, and he won both single and album-of the-year honors from The Gavin Report.
Fender's broad appeal has been reinforced by his success with cinema and television projects, including the Hispanic classics "Short eyes" and 'She Came To The Valley", as well as his breakthrough performance in Robert Redford's 1987 epic "Milagro Beanfield War". His voice has also been tapped for successful national radio and television campaigns for McDonald's, Miller Lite and others.
In the 90's, Freddy Fender's role as vocalist/guitarist in the Tex-Mex supergroup, Texas Tornados, has delivered the venerable performer to major marketplaces and audiences traditionally oriented toward roots rock and progressive blues music.
David Letterman recently introduced Fender to his Latenight audience as "one of the greatest voices in all of music."
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| Garth Proposes to Trisha
Garth Brooks proposed to longtime girlfriend Trisha Yearwood onstage Wednesday night (May 25) at Buck Owens' Crystal Palace in Bakersfield, Calif.
Both Brooks and Yearwood were in tears after he knelt on his knees to make the surprise proposal in front of the crowd attending a ceremony to unveil bronze statues of 10 country music legends at Owens' club and restaurant. In addition to Owens, Country Music Hall of Fame member Merle Haggard was there for the statue ceremony and to join in a jam session.
Brooks and Yearwood first met while trying launch their careers in the mid 1980s. She was Brooks' opening act on his first major tour as a headliner, and he sang background vocals on her 1991 debut album. Through the years, she has sung background vocals on most of his albums. Although conflicts between their respective record labels have prevented them from completing a complete album of duets, their collaborations include "In Another's Eye" (a track from his 1997 album, Sevens) and "Squeeze Me In" (from his most recent album, 2001's Scarecrow ).
It's the second marriage for Brooks, 43, who married Sandy Mahl in 1986. They later became the parents of three daughters. Brooks cited irreconcilable differences when he filed for divorce in 2000. He moved from Nashville after announcing a hiatus from the music business to spend more time with his children in Oklahoma.
Yearwood, 40, has been married twice and has no children. Her 1987 marriage to Chris Latham ended in divorce four years later. In 1994, she married Mavericks bassist Robert Reynolds onstage at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. They divorced five years later.
During Wednesday's concert in Bakersfield, Brooks performed the George Strait hit, "Amarillo By Morning," and one of his own, "Friends in Low Places." Owens scheduled the event to formally unveil the series of statues created by Montana-based artist Bill Rains. Among those featured in the display are Hank Williams, Bob Wills, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, George Jones, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, George Strait, Owens and Brooks
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| BIOGRAPHY
Although she’s widely acknowledged as the premier female vocalist in country music today, Martina McBride is not content to rest on her impressive laurels, which include a shelf full of industry awards. The petite powerhouse unveils a deeper, stronger, more confident sound on her eighth studio album, Martina, proving that she may be in her prime, but definitely not at her peak. Somehow, she’s managed to improve upon near-perfection by focusing on what she does best: delivering emotional performances of mature country songs with poignant, timeless themes. She continues to build on her solid foundation of creating songs that instantly become today’s hits and tomorrow’s standards.
"I really just tried to make a record full of great songs, which is the goal I always have," McBride says. "From a production standpoint, I really wanted it to be warm and to sound more like an old vinyl record as opposed to really clean, pristine and digital."
The CD was recorded in the Nashville studio she and her husband recently purchased, so the sessions took on a more homey, comfortable feel. She was able to spend hours singing without any time constraints and even took breaks to cook dinner for her family in the studio’s kitchen. Whether it’s "This One’s For the Girls," "So Magical" or "Wearing White," this CD is "more Martina music," literally and figuratively. It’s both a continuation of her impressive musical journey and a new stage of growth
"The thing is, I just love where I am right now in my career," she says. "I love country music. I don’t ever feel restricted by the genre. I’ve been able to have a solid career that we’ve built one step at a time and a family. I know that I’m in a good place."
Of course it’s hard to see how she could get more successful. She is to this new decade what Reba McEntire was to the '90s--the standard by which all others are judged. "I definitely feel a difference about my place in the industry," she says. "I feel like I have some longevity now. We’ve established a place. When I’m compared to Reba, it’s such a compliment but I feel I have so far to go. Reba’s career is such an example in longevity and consistency--making music that is accepted and successful, and having a track record. I do look to Reba as a role-model of someone who has longevity, handled her career with class, and gained the respect of her fans, the industry, and her peers. We all want to be Reba when we grow up!"
Martina McBride has the great fortune of being the darling of every facet of the music industry, as evidenced by her numerous CMA and ACM Female Vocalist Awards. Songs such as "Independence Day," "Concrete Angel," "Love’s The Only House," and "A Broken Wing" have become not only memorable musical statements, but resounding social commentaries as well. With her preternaturally large soprano voice, McBride speaks for those who can’t speak for themselves and forces us to recognize situations that we’d prefer to ignore. Whether it’s alcoholism, domestic violence or child abuse, this courageous risk-taker has never backed down from exploring our nation’s darkest sides.
Perpetually a fan favorite, she’s sold nearly 10 million albums, garnered six No. 1 hits and received Favorite Female Artist awards from Country Weekly, Radio & Records and Billboard. Recently, "Independence Day" was voted No. 8 on CMT’s fan- voted list of the 100 Greatest Songs of Country Music. "It’s every artist’s dream to have songs that last, songs that are timeless and classic," she says. "The fact that 'Independence Day' made such an impression with people is a good feeling. I feel like songs like 'Independence Day' and 'Concrete Angel' were divinely sent to me. I’m just the instrument for the song to do whatever it’s supposed to do--heal, inspire or encourage. It’s not all about me, it’s about the song. I’m just the lucky girl who gets to sing these songs."
McBride’s 11-year recording career is a textbook study in controlled stardom. While some artists find themselves on a runaway train, McBride has always remained confidently in the driver’s seat of her career. "I’m definitely a person who likes to control my own destiny," she says. "That’s hard to do in this business because there are many creative people with great ideas and years of experience giving you advice but what is right for one artist isn’t always best for another. Knowing what’s best for you and being willing to stand up and assert that is really a strong trait in this business - especially if you don’t want to follow the 'rules.' It’s difficult at times, but you have to stick to your guns and still know when to be flexible. That’s something I’ve had to learn - which battles to fight."
Having two daughters also helps keep her grounded. Her family comes first, so she tours when her children are out of school for the summer. During the school year, McBride can be spotted driving the girls to school in her beloved 1992 Honda. "I’m just Mom, and at the end of the day I want them to know that being their mom is the most important thing to me," she says. "I can’t be the big star in the family. We have a family, and we are all equal."
It’s this universal equality that she addresses in the project’s first single, "This One’s For the Girls." The song proclaims, "Yeah we’re all the same inside/from one to ninety-nine." "That’s such an important lyric to me, says McBride. "Every night that I sing it live, I want people to feel that. I’m really no different. I just have a great job, and I get to wear cool clothes, and I was given a gift. That’s all it is, a gift, and we all have gifts. When it comes down to it, we are all just trying to do our thing, trying to make the world a better place in our way."
She developed this strong sense of self while growing up on a Sharon, Kansas farm and graduating from a high school with only nine others in her senior class. "A big part of who I am is just the way I was raised," she says. "Nobody is better than anyone else, and if you really work hard, you might get lucky and get what you want."
Hard work came early for McBride, who toured Kansas and Oklahoma with her parent’s band, The Schiffters. "Well, ‘touring’ is putting it pretty fancy," she laughs. "We hooked up the trailer to the back of the car, and we drove to the gig, unloaded and set up all the equipment, played four hours, tore it all down, loaded it up and drove home. It was just what we did from the time we were little kids, but even then I knew it was something special--not something every family got to do together."
She and her husband John moved to Nashville in 1990. John even moved his successful local sound company along with them. By the following year, both John and Martina took jobs touring with Garth Brooks. John served as Production Manager and provided the concert sound system through his company, while Martina sold T-shirts. All the while, when back in Nashville from the road, the two worked on Martina’s demo tape to take to record labels, hoping to get a recording contract.
Her discovery is now the stuff of legend: She took a few liberties with the truth when she wrote "requested material" on a purple envelope containing her demo and sent it to RCA Records. Requested or not, it was just the voice RCA was looking for and they offered her a deal. In 1992, she released her debut CD, The Time Has Come. It wasn’t until the single "My Baby Loves Me" from her second album, The Way That I Am, that Martina captured radio’s hearts and garnered a Top Five hit.
In 1994, her life changed forever with the release of the Grammy Award-winning song "Independence Day," a soaring anthem that features a brutally honest portrayal of domestic violence. Not only did this forever alter her career trajectory, it profoundly changed her personally as well. For nearly a decade, she’s been a national spokeswoman for the victims of domestic violence, working with the National Network to End Domestic Violence, Domestic Violence Intervention Services, the YWCA, ChildHelp USA, and the Safe Haven Family Shelter.
Her work with these causes has earned her recognition from domestic violence programs and widespread media. Recently she was the recipient of Redbook Magazine’s "Mothers and Shakers" award for her work bringing national attention to the domestic violence problem. She was recognized alongside other recipients such as Katie Couric, Cynthia Nixon, Stockard Channing and others. She was also given the Grammy organization’s highest honor, The Heroes Award, for her ongoing charitable work. Famed poet Maya Angelou presented Martina her award saying, "Here, take my hand; I celebrate you."
"I feel like it's important to use this gift God gave me, my life and my career to do something to make the world a better place," explains Martina. "It’s an easy thing for me to do. The real heroes are the ones working at the shelters every day and the women who find the courage to better their lives for themselves and their children. The woman working at the shelter doesn’t have the opportunity to get in front of a million people and raise awareness. I’m the one that can do that for her."
Although McBride is now recognized as the voice of the common woman, she says she never set out to be the public defender of equal rights. "I’m not thinking, ‘I need to have all these songs that speak to women'’", she says. "I’m just inevitably drawn to the ones that speak about women’s feelings, which shouldn’t be a big surprise. I am a woman, so I think that would be the natural thing. You don’t hear a man described as ‘singing songs that speak to men.’ It’s just what we do naturally. I don’t think, ‘I’ve got to find the next woman’s anthem,’ or ‘I have to be the voice for all women.’ But I am happy that women can relate to my songs, and hopefully men can too."
Not all of her songs are deep somber tomes. Hits such as "I Love You," "Safe in the Arms of Love," "Wild Angels" and "Happy Girl" reveal her frolicking, fun side. She continues this tradition on Martina with upbeat songs like "So Magical" and "This One’s for the Girls." The album also has its share of tender love songs, including "City of Love," "When You Love Me," and "Learning To Fall." "There has to be a sense of vulnerability in a great love song," explains McBride. "It has to say, ‘You are IT' for me. You make me feel this way, and nobody else does.’ You want to make someone else feel what you’re feeling. I feel like if I can s ing this to the person I love, then others can do that as well."
While she admits that the awards and industry recognition have been wonderful, it’s not what motivates her to keep improving her music. "What drives me now is the desire to be able to keep doing this," she says. "I love making records and performing, and success means I will continue to have the privilege to do that. I know it’s not going to last forever, but I’d like to keep having success as long as I can so that I can still be a part of this industry."
McBride remains a bit uncomfortable addressing the status of her career or her influence on country music. She’d rather just focus on her music and family. "What I would like my legacy to be is that of a person who took good care of her family and sang some songs that made a difference in some way," she says. "I hope I’ll be remembered as somebody who was always down to earth and who handled her career and other people with honesty, integrity and class."
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Honkytonk University
Twelve years and 12 albums in, Toby Keith's run as a country singer, songwriter, musician and entertainer is entering a new phase. The first began with his 1993 signing to Mercury Records and closed with the 1999 release of his first greatest hits collection. The second began with his subsequent move to DreamWorks Records and closed last year with the release of his Greatest Hits 2.
The third begins May 17 with the release of Honkytonk University, his 13th album. Where it ends...well, that story is still being written. Its first chapter, however, seems to foreshadow a music-driven progression. And so, the album confirms Toby Keith's place as one of the very few recording artists in any genre for whom artistic and commercial growth have been simultaneous, long-lived and completely self-directed.
Looking back, Keith's current stature seems almost inevitable considering his out-of-the-box double platinum debut and an ensuing succession of radio hits. But his rise has come with its share of difficulties -- creative control issues early on, followed by the long odds of a small label among giants. And though he has crested both mountains, this third stage of his professional journey is bound to reveal new challenges.
Toby Keith was born and raised in Oklahoma. As he sings on his new album's first single, his grandmother owned a nightclub on the Arkansas-Oklahoma line, and it's there he first got the itch for performing the country music he'd heard in his father's record collection. Early jobs included rodeo work, climbing oil rigs and semi-pro football, but music soon became his focus. His apprenticeship was served with bar gigs and independent recording projects.
Signed to Mercury by Alabama-producer Harold Shedd, Keith introduced himself to country fans nationwide with "Shoulda Been A Cowboy" in 1993. The No. 1 smash paved the way for three more hits, "Wish I Didn't Know Now," "A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action" and "He Ain't Worth Missing," and Keith's self titled debut album went on to sell more than two million copies
His next three albums, Boomtown, Blue Moon and Dream Walkin' generated an enviable body of hit singles. Titles include "Who's That Man," "You Ain't Much Fun," "Does That Blue Moon Ever Shine On You," "Me Too," "Dream Walkin'" and "We Were In Love." Even with this level of airplay success, Keith's career was not progressing and his relationship with the label was increasingly tumultuous.
Problems came to a head as Keith was completing work on his next album. The title track first single "How Do You like Me Now?!" was flatly rejected by Mercury and he was released from his contract. Keith's producer James Stroud was running the Nashville division of startup DreamWorks, which soon signed Keith. And though the new company was competing in a market dominated by increasingly consolidated conglomerates, the move initiated an era of explosive growth for artist and label alike.
"How Do You Like Me Now?!" became a multi-week No. 1 and an anthem for Keith's emerging status as a true superstar. Subsequent single "Country Comes To Town" and "You Shouldn't Kiss Me Like This" returned him to platinum sales status. The next release, Pull My Chain, kicked out three huge hits in "I'm Just Talkin' About Tonight," "I Wanna Talk About Me" and "My List" on the way to double platinum.
Keith's next single release, "Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue (The Angry American)" was written in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The song became an emotional rallying cry in the war on terror, and the title was painted on tank cannons and warplanes during the hunt for Al Qaeda in Afghanistan.
"Courtesy" helped the 2002 release of Unleashed to a No. 1 country debut, and was followed by the hits "Who's Your Daddy?" and "Beer For My Horses," a duet with Willie Nelson. The album eventually surpassed four million in sales, and the national furor over Keith's patriotic anthem cemented his place not only as the genre's top superstar, but also as a household name.
The following year saw the release of Shock'N Y'all and its three multi-week No. 1s "I Love This Bar," "American Soldier" and "Whiskey Girl." The disc entered the all-genre album chart at No. 1 and is currently well past triple platinum. His Greatest Hits 2 collection, released late last fall, is already nearing triple platinum and established yet another hit in Keith's repertoire, "Stays In Mexico."
Along the way he became one of country's top live draws, regularly ranking as a top ticket sellers in any genre. The Academy of Country Music named him Entertainer of the Year in 2003 and 2004, representing just two of the literally dozens of peer-voted, fan-voted and industry achievement awards he has received.
The latest career retrospective marked another turning point in Keith's career, however, as the phenomenal five-year run at DreamWorks made the label an acquisition target. Now under the Universal Music Group/Nashville umbrella, Toby Keith finds himself back with the company that first signed and dropped him. And so the first studio release from his latest circumstance carries all the import of predecessors Toby Keith and How Do You Like Me Now?! Thankfully, it lives up to its lineage.
Honkytonk University is perhaps best described as a career album, in the sense that only a performer as accomplished and artistically mature as Keith could both acknowledge his past and look to the future in one cohesive release. The disc nods at different eras in his life and career on the title track, "I Got It Bad," and the Merle Haggard duet "She Ain't Hooked On Me No More." And yet he's never recorded anything quite like "Big Blue Note," nor been as boldly funny and slightly self-deprecating as he is on "As Good As I Once Was."
In short, Toby Keith has reached that hallowed place where everything he does musically seems so effortless. Except, of course, when you stop to consider how much work it took for him to get there.
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| Van Lear Rose
For over four decades now, Loretta has fashioned a body of work as artistically and commercially successful—and as culturally significant—as any female performer you’d care to name. Her music has confronted many of the major social issues of her time, and her life story is a rags-to-riches tale familiar to pop, rock and country fans alike. The Coal Miner’s Daughter—the tag refers to a hit single, an album, a best-selling autobiography, an Oscar-winning film, and to Lynn herself—has journeyed from the poverty of the Kentucky hills to Nashville superstardom to her current status as an honest-to-goodness American icon.
Her latest album, the Jack White-produced Van Lear Rose, is poised now to remind the world yet again of Lynn’s power as a vocalist and her skill as a songwriter. As she puts it on “Story of My Life,” the new album’s closing track: “Not half bad for this ol’ KY girl, I guess... Here’s the story of my life. Listen close, I’ll tell it twice.”
Loretta was born in Butcher Holler, Kentucky, the second of Clara and Ted Webb’s eight children. Just as she would later sing in “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” Loretta’s family eked out a living during the Depression on the “poor man’s dollar” her father managed to earn “work{ing] all night in the Van Leer coal mine [and] all day long in the field a-hoein’ corn.” As she also notes in that song, “I never thought of leavin’ Butcher Holler.” But that was before she met Oliver Lynn (aka Doolittle or Doo, or “Mooney” for moonshine), a handsome 21-year-old fresh from the service who swept the young Loretta Webb off her feet. The couple married when Loretta was barely 14.
Looking for a future that didn’t require him to work the mines, Doo found work in Custer, Washington, and Loretta joined him in 1951. The following decade found Lynn a full-time mother—four kids by the time she began singing seriously in 1961—of precisely the sort she would one day sing to and for. In her spare time, though, with Doo’s encouragement, she learned to play the guitar and began singing in the area. During one televised talent contest in Tacoma, hosted by Buck Owens, Loretta was spotted by Norm Burley who was so impressed he started Zero Records just to record her.
Before long, Loretta and Doo hit the road cross-country, stopping every time they spotted a country radio station to push her first Zero release, “I’m a Honky Tonk Girl.” By the time they reached Nashville, the record was a. minor hit and Loretta found work cutting demos for the publishing company of Teddy and Doyle Wilburn. One of these, Kathryn Fulton’s “Biggest Fool of All,” caught the ear of Decca Records producer Owen Bradley. He thought the song would be perfect for Brenda Lee, but the Wilburns worked a deal—you can have the song if you record Loretta. Soon, Loretta was in the studio cutting sides with Bradley, producer at the time not only for Lee but Patsy Cline, Bill Anderson, and Webb Pierce.
At this early stage of her career, Loretta was greatly influenced by Kitty Wells, the groundbreaking “girl singer” who turned the tables on several decades worth of male double standards with the 1952 classic, “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky-Tonk Angels.” Like Kitty’s, Loretta’s delivery on “I’m a Honky Tonk Girl” was twangy and nasal, rhythmically straight up and down, plainspoken and emotionally understated. Such a down-home vocal style was Loretta’s birthright; it was more or less the way she had sang back in Kentucky, it was the style she took with her to Washington, and it was a vocal approach particularly well-suited to the duet sides she soon made in Nashville with honky-tonk legend Ernest Tubb. (“Mr. and Mrs. Used to Be,” from 1964, was the pair’s first and biggest hit.)
Working with Bradley in Nashville, however, Lynn quickly fell under the musical spell of new friend Patsy Cline. Patsy’s distinctive style, marked by dramatic slides, growls and crescendos, was more modern and “pop” sounding than that of Wells’ and the other female country singers of the day. It’s not surprising then that “Success,” the 1962 single that became Loretta’s first Top Ten hit (and that was later covered by Elvis Costello on his Almost Blue album) showcased Loretta in a full-throated, string-backed setting that’s more than a little reminiscent of Patsy Cline.
Out of these influences, Lynn soon fashioned her distinctive style—a mature fusion of twang, grit, energy and libido—an approach she first perfected in the songs of other writers. In “Wine, Women, and Song,” “Happy Birthday,” and “Blue Kentucky Girl,” each a Top Ten hit in 1964, Loretta played a plucky young woman who alternated between waiting for her wayward man to walk back in the door and threatening to walk out herself.
Such hits were early hints of Loretta’s undeniably strong female point of view—a perspective unique at the time both to country music specifically and to pop music generally and a trend in her music that became further pronounced as she began to write more of her own songs. In her first self-penned song to crack the Top Ten, 1966’s “Dear Uncle Sam,” Loretta presented herself as a woman who was going to fight to keep what was important to her, even if that meant questioning the wisdom of her government. Indeed, “Dear Uncle Sam” was among the very first recordings to recount the human costs of the Vietnam War. “Doo encouraged me to write that one,” she recalls today. “I was wondering what it would be like to have someone over there and what I would do if I did.” (The song made a return to Lynn’s live sets with the coming of the Iraq war.)
Over the next few years, Loretta wrote a string of hits unprecedented for their take-no-crap women narrators. In “You Ain’t Woman Enough (to Take My Man)” [#2, 1966], “Don’t Come Home A’Drinkin’ (with Lovin’ on Your Mind)” [#1, 1967], and “Fist City” [#1, 1968], among others, Loretta presented a new character on the country scene: a woman unafraid to stand up for herself, just like real women did. Drawing upon her own experiences as a harried young wife and mother, and upon a homespun sense of humor at once both pointed and hilarious, Loretta issued warnings to soused and philandering hubbies everywhere—and to the female competition—that she was not to be trifled with. In her words, “You better close your face and stay out of my way if you don’t wanna go to Fist City.”
[Note: As on most of Lynn’s biggest solo hits, the studio band for the above numbers included members of Nashville’s famed A-Team: guitarist Grady Martin, six-string electric bassist Harold Bradley, bass player Junior Huskey, pianist Floyd Cramer, drummer Buddy Harman, and pedal steel guitarist Hal Rugg.]
As the ‘60s turned into the ‘70s, Lynn forever solidified her reputation as an advocate for ordinary women. Typically, Loretta’s brand of women’s liberation was attuned specifically to the lives of her blue-collar audience, the wives and mothers who were far too overwhelmed by the demands of, say, childcare to place much stock in symbolic foolishness like bra burning. Indeed, while a guest on The Dick Frost Show, Loretta once famously dozed off while listening to the upper-middle class feminist Betty Freidan talk theory with the show’s host.
Loretta was more interested in life as it was lived—in the kitchen and in the bedroom--by millions of working-class women everyday. For example, “One’s on the Way,” a Shel Silverstein-penned hit from 1971, let Lynn voice the concerns of a harried Topeka woman, worn out from raising her kids, cleaning the house, and dealing with a husband with enough free time to be calling her from a bar while she’s home making dinner.
But it was with her own songs that Loretta best conveyed the complexity of women’s lives. In “I Wanna Be Free,” Loretta reveled in the possibilities a divorce might bring (“I’m gonna take this chain from around my finger, and throw it just as far as I can sling ‘er”), while in “Rated X” she complained that new divorcees were inevitably treated like easy women. In “I Know How,” she boasted of her sexual prowess; in “When the Tingle Becomes a Chill,” she bemoaned the loss of desire that accompanies a bad marriage; and in “The Pill,” a record banned by many radio stations in its day, she captured perfectly the power of birth control to let women love without the passion-dowsing fear of pregnancy: “The feelin’ good comes easy now since I’ve got the pill!”
Each of the above songs was a Top Three country hit between 1968 and 1975, and Loretta Lynn (to paraphrase the title of a 1970 album) both wrote ‘em and sang ‘em. The same was true, of course, of her signature song, the 1970 chart- topper “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” which chronicled for all time the strides women were making in these years—from country to city, from home to workforce and, in Lynn’s case, from “girl-singer” to superstar.
The immense popularity of these songs, as well as other straight-shooting hits like “Your Squaw Is on the Warpath,” “Women of the World (Leave My World Alone)," and “You’re Looking at Country,” culminated in 1972 when Lynn won her second Best Female Vocalist award from the Country Music Association—and when she became the first woman to win the CMA’s most prestigious award, Entertainer of the Year.
It didn’t hurt that sprinkled among her many solo hits was a series of amazing collaborations between Loretta and her dear friend, singer Conway Twitty. Indeed, Loretta also won her first Vocal Duo of the Year award in 1972, with Conway, a title the team held onto through 1976. (And this in the years when the duet competition annually included Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton and George Jones & Tammy Wynette!) The pair’s close harmony style and dramatic song selections—especially, “After the Fire Is Gone,” “Lead Me On,” “As Soon As I Hang up the Phone,” and “Feelin’s”—explored adult romantic relationships as wrenchingly as any records ever made.
Through the next decade, Loretta scored more and more hits—and became more and more famous beyond her country base. In 1973, she appeared on the cover of Newsweek; in 1976 her autobiography (written with journalist George Vescey) became a New York Times Bestseller; in 1980 the book was made into a hit film starring Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones. By the time of her last major hit—”I Lie,” in 1982—Lynn could count 52 Top 10 hits and 16 #1’s.
Loretta Lynn spent the ‘90s largely away from the spotlight, caring for her ailing husband Doo and, after he died in 1996, grieving his loss. The music scene has changed considerably in her absence but it’s also a scene she helped create. Indeed, it would be all but impossible to imagine the likes of Shania Twain’s “Any Man of Mine” and Deana Carter’s “Did I Shave My Legs for This?” or any number of Dixie Chicks hits, without her. Van Lear Rose, with its moody, propulsive arrangements, loud and rocking guitars and intimate songwriting, can only extend Lynn’s profound influence into a new century—and to a new generation of fans.
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Twain, McBride, Evans on Desperate House | | | Shania Twain, Martina McBride and Sara Evans are included on the Desperate Housewives soundtrack that will be released Sept. 20. Twain sings "Shoes," McBride revives "Harper Valley P.T.A." and Evans performs "One's on the Way." Other artists on the project include Gloria Estefan, Aretha Franklin, Indigo Girls, Jewel, k.d. lang, Idina Menzel, Anna Nalick, Liz Phair, Paulina Rubio and Joss Stone. .
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Dwight Yoakam was born in Pikeville, Ky., on Oct. 23, 1956, but spent a sizable portion of his youth in Ohio. Inspired by the Beatles and the Byrds, as well as the honky-tonk music of the area, he moved to Los Angeles in 1978 after years of
rejection in Nashville. He realized he might need to find an alternate highway for his music, so he brought his music to an unlikely audience -- the roots rock fans of Los Angeles who had already embraced local bands such as Los Lobos, the Blasters and Lone Justice.
Yoakam teamed with producer Pete Anderson for the 1984 EP Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc. A few years later, Nashville was again eager for unconventional artists (such as Steve Earle, Nanci Griffith and Lyle Lovett), and Reprise Records reissued the six-song EP with four additional tracks (and an extra Etc. in the title). Through the end of the 1980s, he had notched nine Top 10 hits, including the No. 1 hit "Streets of Bakersfield," a duet with pioneer California-country pioneer Buck Owens.
In 1993, with his twang intact, Yoakam delivered a commercial smash with the album This Time. Three of its singles peaked at No. 2, and "Ain't That Lonely Yet" won a Grammy. (Yoakam has yet to win a CMA award.) Future albums on Warner Bros./Reprise failed to yield a Top 10 hit, and he seemed determined to fulfill his contract with a hits album, a live album, a covers album, a soundtrack, an acoustic album and a Christmas album. (He also offered studio albums in 1995, 1998 and 2001.) Following an impressive box set in 2002, he released Population: Me in 2003 on Audium/Koch Records. In 2004 he released Dwight's Used Records, an anthology of duets from other artists' albums, unreleased covers and cuts he contributed to various tribute compilations. He moved to New West Records in 2005 for Blame the Vain, which he produced himself after a professional split from Anderson.
Watching his innovative videos, it's not surprising that Yoakam has also found work in Hollywood. He earned rave reviews for his villainous roles in Sling Blade (1996) and Panic Room (2002). He also lends his name to a line of frozen biscuits and sausage.
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| September 19, 2005 Wynonna Returns To 20th Season Of The Oprah Winfrey Show
Tune in when Wynonna revisits "The Oprah Winfrey Show" this coming Tuesday, Sept.
27 (check local listings for stations and times).
CHICAGO, IL: The 20th Season Premiere of The Oprah Winfrey Show kicks off with special guest Jennifer Aniston and much, much, much more. Anything can happen when the season premiere episode airs Monday, September 19, 2005 (check local listings).
On the calendar for the show's 20th Anniversary Season Premiere week: Lance Armstrong with big news and a musical homage to Luther Vandross with Patti LaBelle and Usher, plus a tribute to the late great publisher John H. Johnson (Sept. 20); Jon Bon Jovi's Oprah debut (Sept. 21); Chris Rock (Sept. 22). Also on Oprah this fall: Reese Witherspoon's first time on Oprah; Faith Hill changes one woman's life forever; Sandra Bullock and the cast of Crash; Ricky Martin's mission to fight child slavery; and special follow-up interviews with Brooke Shields and Wynonna Judd (on September 27).
The Oprah Winfrey Show has remained the number one talk show for 19 consecutive seasons, winning every sweep since its debut in 1986.* It is produced in Chicago by Harpo Productions, Inc. and syndicated to 215 domestic markets and 117 countries by CBS Paramount International Television.
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Tim McGraw and Faith Hill | | | Tim McGraw and Faith Hill
Superstar husband and wife team up for another hit single and video. Watch "Like We Never Loved at All." More |
Martina McBride Previews New Album Durin | | | Martina McBride's fans have already heard her latest single, a remake of Lynn Anderson's 1970 hit, "(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden," but she'll introduce her versions of other classic songs from her upcoming album during a live concert special
on CMT. Martina McBride: Timeless premieres Saturday (Oct. at 10 p.m. ET/PT
New Album, Timeless, Features Her Versions of Country Classics
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GRETCHEN WILSON -ALL JACKED UP | | | |
Elvis Radio Honors the King | | | Satellite Radio Channel Plays the Hits and Obscurities From Graceland
It's all-Elvis -- all the time. But the radio station is operating from the plaza at Graceland in Memphis, so what would you expect?
Read More |
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Norah Jones was born March 30, 1979, in New York City. When she was 4 years old, she and her mother Sue moved to the...
Norah Jones was born March 30, 1979, in New York City. When she was 4 years old, she and her mother Sue moved to the Dallas suburb of Grapevine, Texas. Jones' earliest musical influences came from her mother's extensive LP collection and from
"oldies" radio. She began singing in church choirs at age 5, commenced piano lessons two years later and briefly played alto saxophone in junior high.
"My mom had this eight-album Billie Holiday set. I picked out one disc that I liked and played that over and over again. 'You Go to My Head,' that was my favorite ..."
When Jones was 15, she and her mother moved from Grapevine to Dallas' central city, where she enrolled in Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. (Soul singer Erykah Badu and trumpeter Roy Hargrove are also Washington alumni.)
She played her first gig on her 16th birthday, an open mike night at a local coffeehouse, where she performed a version of "I'll Be Seeing You" that she'd learned from Etta James' treatment of this Billie Holiday favorite. While still in high school, she won the Down Beat Student Music Awards for best jazz vocalist and best original composition in 1996 and earned a second SMA for best jazz vocalist in 1997. She also sang with a band called Laszlo, playing what she describes as "dark, jazzy rock." After graduation, she entered the University of North Texas -- nationally renowned for its music programs -- where she majored in jazz piano.
In the summer of 1999, she accepted a friend's offer of a summer sublet in Greenwich Village. She came to Manhattan ... and never returned to North Texas State.
"The music kept me here. The music scene is so huge -- I found it very exciting. I especially enjoyed hearing amazing songwriters at little places like The Living Room. Everything opened up for me."
For about a year beginning in December 1999, she appeared regularly with the funk-fusion band Wax Poetic (now signed to Atlantic). But she soon assembled her own group with Jesse Harris, Lee Alexander and Dan Rieser. In October 2000, this lineup recorded a selection of demos for Blue Note Records. On the strength of these recordings and a live showcase, she was signed to Blue Note in January 2001. She sang two songs (Roxy Music's "More Than This" and "Day Is Done" by Nick Drake) on guitarist Charlie Hunter's Blue Note album Songs From the Analog Playground and has frequently performed live with Hunter's group.
She began recording the songs on Come Away With Me in May 2001, doing preliminary work with producer Craig Street at Bearsville Studio in Woodstock, N.Y. In August 2001, the singer and her musicians went back to work -- this time with Arif Mardin at Sorcerer Sound in Manhattan.
"I was nervous at first. I didn't want some amazing producer who'd done all these famous records to come in and have me be scared to tell him what I thought. But Arif is the nicest guy in the world, very easygoing. He was there to keep my act together and make sure I got a good record. ... Arif had great ideas."
The music industry rewarded her with five Grammy awards in 2003, including album of the year, record of the year and best new artist. The album went on to sell more than 8 million copies in the U.S.
Though she's often considered a jazz artist, Jones flirted with country music by landing a Grammy nomination for her Willie Nelson duet, "Wurlitzer Prize." A solo version appears on a Waylon Jennings tribute album. She also surfaced on recent musical tributes to Patsy Cline and Dolly Parton. Jones and Parton performed together on the 2003 CMA Awards telecast, and Parton appears on Jones' 2004 album Feels Like Home.
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Gill and Crowell Contribute to Album to | | |
After a year marked by astounding artistic cooperation, technology pushed to its limits and reams of legal paperwork, Nashville's Compass Records has released the album Hands Across the Water: A Benefit for the Children of the Tsunami.
The 16-song album is the brainchild of musicians Andrea Zonn and John Cutliffe, who served as the project's producers. Among the more than 100 musicians participating are Vince Gill, Rodney Crowell, John Prine, Jackson Browne, Tim O'Brien, Jon Randall, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Jim Lauderdale, Darrell Scott, Maura O'Connell, Mindy Smith, Jerry Douglas and the Duhks.
Thanks to Cutliffe, a veteran of the Irish music scene, there is also a rich infusion of Irish and English voices and instruments, including those of the bands Flook, Lunasa, Solas and Altan. Thirty recording studios in the U. S., Canada, Europe and Australia were involved. Everyone, including the recording engineers, worked for free.
Hands Across the Waterboasts such traditional songs as "Fair and Tender Ladies," "A Man of Constant Sorrow," "A Fond Kiss," "Let's Heal," "An Occasional Song," "Be Still My Soul" and "In the Sweet By and By." Prine and his wife, Fiona, essay the country standard "'Til a Tear Becomes a Rose." Lauderdale wrote "This World's Family" especially for the album and performs it with O'Connell. Crowell and Irish singer Paul Brady render a wistful reading of Johnny Cash's "40 Shades of Green."
Zonn says she and Cutliffe began discussing the idea of creating a fundraising album two days after the devastating tsunami struck the coasts in Southeast Asia on Dec. 26, 2004. "We just felt so helpless," Zonn recalls. "The project helped us alleviate that."
"There was no production budget at all," Cutliffe notes. "We kind of went, 'Who do we know?'" As it turned out, he and Zonn knew dozens of people eager to contribute. An outstanding fiddler and vocalist, Zonn is best known for her work with Vince Gill. More recently she toured as a member of James Taylor's band.
"Everybody said yes immediately," Cutliffe continues. While he agrees the undertaking might have been an organizational nightmare, that's not how he remembers it. "It was all happening so fast," he says. "When things happened, we just dealt with them."
The actual recording took place between January and May of 2005, according to Cutliffe. While most of the tracks were done in conventional studios, some of the musicians recorded their parts at home or in hotels along their tour routes. The data was routinely transmitted back to Nashville via the Internet.
After that, Cutliffe reports, "there was a lot of paperwork" involving the artists' labels, managers and publishers.
Initially, Compass planned to release Hands Across the Water in August but then decided to hold it until the first anniversary of the disaster. The album was made available to digital retailers on Dec. 20 and in regular record stores on Jan. 10.
During the remainder of January, Cutliffe says, the album will be released in major markets throughout the world, including Ireland, the Netherlands, Japan and Australia. To collect and distribute income from the album, he and Zonn have established the nonprofit Acoustic Canvas organization. It will also be used, Cutliffe says, for other child-oriented charity projects.
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| 48th Annual Grammy Awards
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| Zodra de eerste noten over de lippen komen
van de Amsterdamse zanger René Riva, drijven de herinneringen aan Willy Alberti - een van de meest populaire Nederlandse volkszangers ooit - vanzelf boven. Het duet dat hij op zijn Nederlandstalige debuutalbum zingt met diens dochter Willeke geeft dan ook direct de positie van René Riva weer: hij biedt een nostalgisch kijkje in het verleden, maar staat tegelijkertijd met beide benen in het hier en nu. Op het album “René Riva”, geproduceerd door het succesduo Emile Hartkamp en Norus Padidar (o.a. Frans Bauer en Marianne Weber) blijft dit nieuwe zangtalent vooral zichzelf in de nieuwe, speciaal voor hem geschreven liedjes van Emile Hartkamp en René Portegies (tekstschrijver van o.a André Hazes).
René Riva is een rasechte Amsterdammer
die op zijn veertiende een voorliefde ontwikkelde voor Italiaanse muziek, met name opera en romantische San Remo-achtige stukken. Op die manier kwam hij in aanraking met de Amsterdamse Tenore Napolitano Alberti, met wiens stukken hij mee begon te zingen. “Ik ontdekte dat zijn repertoire goed bij mijn stem paste. Ik ben – net zoals hij – een lyrische tenor die de hoogte in gaat. Ik luisterde vooral naar hem voor de techniek, niet zozeer vanwege zijn stemtype,” herinnert René zich. Toen hij in 1994 het concert van de drie tenoren Carreras, Pavarotti en Domingos zag, viel het kwartje: hij wilde definitief professioneel zanger worden. Door mee te zingen met bestaande nummers leerde hij zichzelf zingen, eerst binnenskamers maar later ook op school en in zijn stamkroeg, waar hij in contact kwam met twee telgen uit de Alberti-familie. Zij raadden hem aan mee te doen met het door Willy’s zoon Tonny Alberti georganiseerde gezellige evenement: Rondje Amsterdam, wat hij uiteindelijk in 2002 deed. Tonny was zo onder de indruk van wat hij hoorde en zag dat hij de sympathieke zanger direct onder zijn hoede nam. René werd steeds vaker geboekt voor feesten en grote evenementen als het Jordaanfestival, waar hij twee jaar achtereen optrad. Hij bracht tevens in eigen beheer een 4-track single uit die op de SONY/BMG burelen terechtkwam, met als resultaat dat hij eind 2004 een platencontract kreeg aangeboden.
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The Redneck Revolution Tour | | | Gretchen Wilson is on the road, joined by special guest Van Zant and introducing Blaine Larsen. Take part in the Redneck Revolution by clicking on the venues to purchase tickets.
1.18.2006 NOKIA Theatre at Grand Prairie Dallas TX
1.19.2006 CenturyTel Center Bossier City LA
1.20.2006 Garrett Coliseum Montgomery AL
1.21.2006 Bi-Lo Center Greenville SC
1.26.2006 UTC McKenzie Arena Chattanooga TN
1.27.2006 Colonial Center Columbia SC
2.1.2006 Roanoke Civic Center Roanoke VA
2.3.2006 LJVM Coliseum Winston-Salem NC
2.4.2006 Savannah Civic Center Savannah GA
2.10.2006 World Arena Colorado Springs CO
2.12.2006 United Spirit Arema Lubbock TX
2.23.2006 Rupp Arena Lexington KY
2.24.2006 Allen County War Memorial Coliseum Ft. Wayne IN
3.1.2006 Midwest Wireless Civic Center Mankato MN
3.2.2006 Wells Fargo Arena Des Moines IA
3.3.2006 ISU Hulman Center Terre Haute IN
3.8.2006 Big Sandy Superstore Arena Huntington WV
3.11.2006 Dunkin' Donuts Center Providence RI
3.25.2006 Bancorp South Center Tupelo MS
3.26.2006 Southern IL University Carbondale IL
3.31.2006 Value City Arena - Schottenstein Center Columbus OH
4.1.2006 Roberts Stadium Evansville IN
4.2.2006 US Bank Arena Cincinnati OH
4.5.2006 The Arena at Gwinnett Center Atlanta GA
4.6.2006 Stephen O'Connell Center Gainesville FL
4.7.2006 Columbus Civic Center Columbus GA
4.8.2006 Tallahassee-Leon Co. Civic Center Tallahassee FL
4.27.2006 Wolstein Center at CSU Cleveland OH
4.28.2006 Peoria Civic Center Peoria IL
4.29.2006 Desoto Civic Center Southaven MS
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March 14, 2006 Multi-Platinum Superstars Big & Rich Slated To Kick Off Season Four of Nashville Star
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- NASHVILLE STAR, the nation's top-rated country music series, has partnered with Nashville's notorious MuzikMafia to bring the hottest new talent to season four including an electrifying opening performance from Big & Rich in episode one, it was announced today by Libby Hansen, USA's vice president, alternative series and specials.
"Big & Rich is one of the hottest acts in country music right now, and we are thrilled to have them join the already exciting line-up of season four," explained Hansen. "By building off the ratings success of last year and by joining forces with both the RCA Label Group and now the MuzikMafia, we have unparalleled momentum for the first episode. It's a homerun for NASHVILLE STAR."
Episode one will open with a high-energy performance by the Grammy-nominated duo before they retire to the judges' table to advise contestants alongside show veterans Phil Vassar and Anastasia Brown. Mafia member and "hick-hop" artist Cowboy Troy will co-host season four with five-time Grammy Award-winning superstar Wynonna Judd (Curb Records). Additional celebrity judges and performers will be announced in the coming weeks.
Also coming on board the team as producers for the upcoming season is Big & Rich and Cowboy Troy manager Marc Oswald along with Kerry Hansen, Wynonna's manager. They will join the NASHVILLE STAR production team to help elevate the creative and musical elements of each episode including the opening and closing performances. In addition, they have set out to create a dynamic and powerful way to further incorporate the unique talents of the hosts in a way that has not been done.
"One of the long-time goals of the Mafia is to bring country music to people in a newer, broader, more unfiltered way," explained Oswald. "NASHVILLE STAR reaches millions of Americans each week with some of the nation's most promising new voices, so this makes perfect sense."
As previously announced, the winner of NASHVILLE STAR will receive a recording contract from the RCA Label Group, home to multi-platinum superstars Alan Jackson, Kenny Chesney, Martina McBride, Brooks & Dunn, Brad Paisley and Sara Evans, among others.
NASHVILLE STAR is created by Reveille and executive produced by Ben Silverman ("The Biggest Loser," "The Office") and H.T. Owens ("The Restaurant," "30 Days"). Jeff Boggs will executive produce in association with Reveille again for the second year. The show is produced by Jon Small ("Garth Brooks Live From Central Park," "Billy Joel Live at Yankee Stadium") and his production company, Picture Vision, alongside co-executive producer Mark Koops ("The Restaurant," "Blow Out").
Reveille develops produces and distributes new and non-traditional programming formats for television and motion pictures across a variety of genres, including comedy, drama, game, and reality for American and international markets. In addition to selling television formats for independent producers such as NBC Universal Television Studios (USA Network, Sci Fi Channel), BBC Worldwide, Renegade and Princess Productions, Reveille sells its own produced program formats such as "The Restaurant" (NBC), "Blow Out" (Bravo) and "30 Days" (FX). Reveille also distributed the internationally renowned, award-winning "911" documentary and is a world leader in creating integrated marketing opportunities for leading advertisers, developing alternative financing paradigms and selling and distributing television formats in markets worldwide. Reveille has produced projects such as, "Coupling," "The Restaurant", "The Biggest Loser" and "The Office: An American Workplace" for NBC. Cable projects include "Blow Out" for Bravo, "The Club" on Spike, USA Network's "Nashville Star," the Morgan Spurlock project "30 Days" for FX Networks and MTV's "Date My Mom."
USA Network is cable television's leading provider of original series and feature movies, sports events, off-net television shows, and blockbuster theatrical films. USA Network is seen in over 89 million U.S. homes. The USA Network Web site is located at www.usanetwork.com. USA Network is a program service of NBC Universal Cable a division of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience.
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New Cd off Wynonna Judd released in sept | | | Her Story: Scenes From A Lifetime
2 CD SET
released in September 2005
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Presley's First Memphis Home for Sale on | | | Elvis Presley's first home, which he bought after the success of 1956's "Heartbreak Hotel" and other early classics, is now up for bid on eBay. The property, at 1034 Audubon Drive, was recently added to the National Historic Register of Homes. Presley lived there for just over a year before moving to Graceland. Renovations at the ranch style house have been minimal, according to a press release. Bidding ends on May 14.
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| CMT's Greatest Moments: Tim McGraw is a one-hour special saluting the personal and career milestones of McGraw. Through clips, interviews, perf...
Featured Artists:
Tim McGraw
CMT Inside Fame: Tim McGraw tells the story of a shy boy who overcame immense obstacles, such as poverty (for a while they lived in a barn), do...
Featured Artists:
Tim McGraw , Faith Hill |
Brooks & Dunn, Underwood, Paisley Ta | | | The 40th annual CMA Awards proved to be a night for Brooks & Dunn to believe in and one Carrie Underwood will never forget. By the time the event...
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|  148 Gasten |
| Dolly Parton Reflects on Her Greatest Moments
She Discusses Elvis, 9 to 5 and Her Latest No. 1 Hit
Editor's note: CMT Greatest Moments: Dolly Parton premieres Friday (July 7) at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
Everybody -- yes, everybody -- knows Dolly Parton. Whether it's her magnificent Dollywood theme park, her eloquent "I Will Always Love You," her bubbly roles in the films Steel Magnolias and 9 to 5, her shapely figure on the cover of Playboy or her double Oscar nominations for songwriting, Parton has proven that a country star can dream without boundaries. Here, the Country Music Hall of Fame member talks to CMT producer Jeremy Thacker about several highlights from her brilliant career.
CMT: Is it true that Elvis also wanted to record "I Will Always Love You"?
Parton: I hesitated to tell it for a long time because I thought maybe people would not take it right because it was Elvis. But Elvis loved "I Will Always Love You," and he wanted to record it. I got the word that he was going to record it, and I was so excited. I told everybody I knew, "Elvis is going to record my song. You're not going to believe who's recording my song." It's like one of those things I told everybody. I thought it was a done deal because he don't just say he's going to do something. Anyway, he sent word that he loved it and he was doing it. They get to town and they call and they ask if I want to come to the session -- and, of course, I was going to go.
Then Colonel Tom [Parker, Presley's manager] gets on the phone and said, "You know, I really love this song," and I said, "You cannot imagine how excited I am about this. This is the greatest thing that's ever happened to me as a songwriter." He said, "Now you know we have a rule that Elvis don't record anything that we don't take half the publishing." And I was really quiet. I said, "Well, now it's already been a hit. I wrote it and I've already published it. And this is the stuff I'm leaving for my family when I'm dead and gone. That money goes in for stuff for my brothers and sisters and nieces and nephews, so I can't give up half the publishing." And he said, "Well then, we can't record it." I guess they thought since they already had it prepared and already had it ready, that I would do it.
I said, "I'm really sorry," and I cried all night. I mean, it was like the worst thing. You know, it's like, "Oh, my God ... Elvis Presley." And other people were saying, "You're nuts. It's Elvis Presley. I mean, hell, I'd give him all of it." I said, "I can't do that. Something in my heart says, 'Don't do that.'" And I just didn't do it, and they just didn't do it. But I always wondered what it would sound like. I know he'd kill it. Don't you? He would have killed it. But anyway, so he didn't. Then when Whitney [Houston's version] came out, I made enough money to buy Graceland. (laughs)
Tell us about making 9 to 5 with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin.
9 to 5 will always be special to me because it was my first movie. It's kind of like my first love. And even though I did other things after -- and, hopefully, will do other things, as well -- that one will always be special because it was the first time I had ever done a movie. I had never even seen a movie made. I made a lot of silly mistakes that they laughed at me about. Like, I memorized the whole script, not knowing. I thought you did a movie like a play. I thought you started it and you went straight through it. I didn't know that you stopped and started so many times. But, anyhow, I memorized it.
But I was very excited because I had been offered movies before. But up until then, I hadn't seen anything I really wanted to do because my music was more important. But when this came along, Jane Fonda was a huge star. Lily Tomlin, I was crazy about. She was a big star at the time, too. And so I thought, "Wow, this can only be great. And if it's a big success, then I'll just be in there with them, and I'll be part of it. And if it's a big flop, I'm just gonna blame them. I'll go back to singing."
On the set with all the people, I made a lot of great friends. I had the great opportunity to write the theme song for it, which I wrote right on the set. ... I would do the "Working 9 to 5/What a way to make a living." Then I'd watch what was going on all through the day on the set, and I'd get inspiration, and I'd go back to the hotel at night and work on the verses. It was really a labor of love all the way through, and it turned out to be a little classic.
You were on the cover of Playboy. Even though you didn't take anything off, people just gasped.
I think people gasped when I was on the cover of Playboy because they thought I probably had some nude layouts inside, but I did not. I just wore that cute little bunny suit that the girls wear at the club -- well, my own version of it -- and the little bunny ears and all. Actually, they did a very good article inside the magazine. That was when I was beginning to grow and cross over in the business. I was having some pop records and had good management, so therefore I had some good PR people, and they were putting together these types of things. But I'm not embarrassed by that. Every now and then, somebody will bring that cover of an old magazine. Some old horny man will still have it -- "Will you sign this for me?" Have slobber specks on it and stuff. (laughs) But I sign it.
You just had a No. 1 song with Brad Paisley with "When I Get Where I'm Going." You are one of the only artists who has had a Top 10 hit in the '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s and 2000s. How does that feel?
It feels great to be No. 1, no matter whose coattail you're riding on. In that particular case with Brad Paisley's song, I just felt very lucky to be a part of that. That was a great song, first of all. The guys that wrote that, it came straight from their heart, and it was based on some truth in their lives. Then, Brad, of course, is one of the great singers and one of the most precious people in the entire world. And he asked if I would come sing on it. I said, "Is anybody else going to be singing?" Because I was trying to figure out what harmony part I'd sing. He said, "No, it's just going to be you and me." I said "So can I just sing anything I want to on it, just whatever I feel led to sing?" He said, "Absolutely. That's exactly what I want you to do." So I got in the studio. He had already put his part down, and I had the headphones on and I just sat. You know, just like I always do. I just said, "Just be here. Just feed me what you want me to do." And so I just started singing.
The song first of all really touched me, and then when I started singing and heard our voices together, it really inspired me to sing the way that I sang it. And the tears were rolling down my face just hearing the song and hearing our voices together. It made me see every dead person, every dead relative I had ever loved and lost. It made me have hope that they were really there. That song just touched my soul, and what came out of me was just what God put in my heart to sing. That song, to this day, every time I hear it, the tears come to my eyes. And I lost my mom and dad not terribly long ago, and I'm going to cry. It touches me, and I was just very proud. It wasn't about being No. 1. It was about being a part of something great.
You're known by one name, like Madonna or Cher. How do you feel to be a pop icon? Do you consider yourself that?
Oh, I don't know how I consider myself. I'm just Dolly. To me, I'm still just that little ragged girl that grew up dreaming in the Smoky Mountains, and now I'm seeing it come true. That's a great feeling. I'm very grateful. The older I get, the more I realize how lucky that I've been. A whole lot of it has to do with luck. You've got to have talent, and I've always had more guts than I've had talent. But I always try to back it up. I'm willing to work, though. I work hard for everything I get. I've been blessed, and it's like when people know my name, that's a great, great honor. And so I wouldn't put me there with Madonna. Maybe Methuselah. (laughs)
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The Home Of Grand Ole Opry Live! | | | Celebrate 80 Years Of Great Country!
Celebrate 80 Years of great country, with 80 Days of Opry Winning!
Log on to opry.com every day through October 15 to win a great prize associated with the Opry's
eight decades of great country –
from front row Opry tickets to Alan Jackson's Wranglers to Sara Evans' cowboy boots to Terri Clark's autographed hat. Register Today!
80 Unforgettable Moments
at the Grand Ole Opry
During the past 80 years, the Grand Ole Opry has broadcast more than 4,000 shows, no two of them exactly the same. And while every Grand Ole Opry performance is memorable, some are particularly notable, even downright historic. The first performances. The final curtain calls. The grandest moments of the Grand Ole Opry. No one who heard them – or saw them – could ever forget. View 80 Unforgettable Moments at Opry.com!
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PATSY CLINE, (Virginia Patterson Hensley), was born in the Shenandoah Valley in Winchester, Virginia, on September 8, 1932. The family home was in nearby Gore. Legend has it that she was entertaining her neighbors as early as age 3! Her natural talent and spirit took her to the top of the country charts in 1962, and her style and popularity has never waned.
Patsy's big break came when she won an Arthur Godfrey Talent program in 1957 with the hit Walkin' After Midnight. From there she pursued a recording career appearing at the mecca of country music - the Grand Ole Opry in 1958, and received national awards in 1961 and 1962.
Country music lost a magical entertainer when her career was ended in an airplane crash in Tennessee, in 1963.
In 1973 Patsy was elected posthumously to the Country Music Hall of Fame, and her reputation is on record as one of the major female vocalists of all time.
A bell tower has been erected in her memory at the Shenandoah Memorial Park, where Patsy Cline is interred. Several Highways, including the Patsy Cline Memorial Highway, Route 522, and Patsy Cline Boulevard in Winchester, have been named to commemorate her life.
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| NASHVILLE SKYLINE: June Carter Cash: A Life in Music
New CD Package Is Fitting Tribute to a Grand Musical Force
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Shania is thrilled with the development of her vocal technique on the album, an evolution that Mutt wholeheartedly encouraged. "It is different. Mutt was able to bring out a presence in my voice that I usually only use when I'm song-writing with my acoustic guitar. I didn't realize that I was singing with a slightly different voice on the microphone. It's like being in front of a camera, unless you forgot it's there, you kind of act a little differently. Mutt stayed on it until he got the natural, more intimate vocal sound he loves in my voice."
Other highlights on the album? Shania could name as many as there are tracks, but here are a few particulars. "Ka-Ching is one of my top five, probably one of my top three, because it does have the Shania cheekiness to it, but I think it's a pretty fair observation of where we're at, in terms of how commercial society has become, almost globally. "I also like the lyrics on In My Car (I'll Be The Driver) - "don't care if you sleep with your socks on, you can hurt my head with your favourite rock song." In other words, you can be in control of all the other things in our lives, but in my car, I am the driver! Up!, the title track, has some really fun things, "even my skin is acting weird, wish that I could grow a beard." One of my other favourites is I'm Jealous, it's one of those songs that's so descriptive, you can see and feel it happening. Juanita is a song I got a bit deeper with lyrically. In our most vulnerable times, whether we're searching for strength, courage or freedom, it's our female power (our Juanita) that we need to connect with."
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Ray Charles Exhibit to Open at Hall of F | | | Ray Charles will be the focus of a major exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, beginning March 10, 2006, and running through Dec. 31, 2007. Titled I Can't Stop Loving You: Ray Charles and Country Music, the exhibit will feature artifacts, instruments, song manuscripts, costumes, photographs, rare music and more. Charles is best known to country fans for his 1962 landmark album, Modern Sounds in Country & Western Music. Facilitated primarily by Ray Charles Enterprises, the 5,000-square-foot exhibit will follow Night Train to Nashville: Music City Rhythm & Blues, 1945-1970. Charles died in 2004 at age 73. ... In related news, a U.S. Postal Service facility in Los Angeles will be renamed the Ray Charles Post Office Building during ceremonies Wednesday (Aug. 24). The structure on Washington Boulevard is located down the street from a building that housed Charles' business offices and recording studios.
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A Wild Night With Brooks & Dun | | |
CINCINNATI -- Necessity may be the mother of invention, but Brooks & Dunn are the kings of reinvention. At the Cincinnati stop of their Deuces Wild tour on Saturday night (Aug. 13), they matched the bid of past tours by still relying on special effects but raised the stakes by making it look easy. In other words, they offered a rare treat -- a high-tech, low-key night of country music.
Brooks & Dunn reached the pinnacle of show-stopping concerts with the overwhelming Neon Circus & Wild West Show tour a few years ago, offering fans as many carnival acts as they did musical opening acts. This time around, there are almost no distractions -- pretty much just a black-and-white hot air balloon and two huge inflatable cowgirls. As a stagehand taped a set list to the floor, it was unclear whether a lone guitarist was tuning his instrument or warming up the crowd. One by one, the rest of the band casually shuffled on stage, and even Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn strolled out without any booming, whiz-bang announcement.
A massive panoramic LCD screen glowed behind them, giving the unusual sensation of watching an awesome concert and a top-notch live DVD at the same time. As they launched with "Red Dirt Road," the screen behind them pictured a red dirt road trailing behind them. (Kids who grew up riding in the backwards-facing backseat of a station wagon suddenly grew nostalgic -- or perhaps carsick.) On "You Can't Take the Honky Tonk Out of the Girl," they drew inspiration from the walls of the dive bars on Nashville's Lower Broadway yet incorporated live footage from ladies like June Carter, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette to enhance the lyric. The striking visuals changed according to each song, yet never rehashed their music videos.
They also avoided playing second fiddle to technology, drawing on a wealth of material, with only one new song. Given their extensive string of successful singles, they had to cut some songs ("The Long Goodbye," "How Long Gone" and "Hard Workin' Man" were notably absent), but Dunn still aces "My Maria," "Brand New Man" and especially "Neon Moon." And with newer hits like "It's Getting Better All the Time" and "Play Something Country," no matter what songs B&D dealt the audience, it would likely be a winning hand.
The first half of the show could just as easily been called Jokers Wild, with Big & Rich and the Warren Brothers each warming up the crowd. Just before Big & Rich came on, an extremely loud burst of noise startled everybody in the crowd, sending at least one cup of beer flying into the air. Big & Rich screened some sort of film, but it was still too bright outside to see anything. However, it was impossible to miss the duo's shenanigans once they arrived on stage.
Sitting there and watching them horse around, it's tough not to admire their determination to make it in the music business. You can imagine them scratching their chins a few years ago, saying things like "Maybe if we got a midget, a spaceship and a guitar that says 'LOVE EVERYBODY' on the back of it ..." No matter what you think of them, the crowd was really into it, and the enthusiasm is contagious. Even if you change the dial whenever "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy" comes on, this thought may cross your mind: "Now, why am I singing along if this song irritates me so much?"
Big & Rich are nothing if not evangelistic, so it's no surprise that pyrotechnics were as prevalent as the preaching. ("No one can take away your sparkle! No one can take away your shine!" Big Kenny testified.) Cowboy Troy, who wasn't advertised on the ticket, was wise enough to wear a personalized Cincinnati Reds jersey onstage. Instantly bringing the crowd to its feet, it could be argued that the only 6-foot-5 black rapping cowboy in country music received louder applause than either Big & Rich or the Warren Brothers.
While the opening acts did not have enough hits to fill even a short set, they stretched their material by often singing the last verse one more time or pulling out the old "first the guys sing, then the girls sing" trick. The Warren Brothers kept asking the crowd to stand up, but it was their young sons who were getting the workout, carrying guitars on and off the stage. With barely a half-hour to perform, the wisecracking duo wisely avoided acting ridiculous, instead proving themselves to be an entertaining band worthy of their spot on a big tour. Like good gamblers, they apparently know when to hold 'em, and they know when to fold 'em.
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Top 100 Euro-Harry'scartoon | | | |
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Shania Twain was born Eileen Edwards in Canada on Aug. 28, 1965, the second oldest of five siblings. She was raised in Timmins, Ontario, about 500 miles due north of Toronto, where her stepfather, an Ojibway Indian named Jerry Twain, and mother,
Sharon, had both been raised. It was a proud but, at times, impoverished existence. They struggled to keep enough food in the cupboards, but there was always an abundance of music in the household.
Twain often grabbed a guitar and retreated to the solitude of her bedroom singing and writing until her fingers ached. "I grew up listening to Waylon, Willie, Dolly, Tammy, all of them," she recalls. "But we also listened to the Mamas and the Papas, The Carpenters, The Supremes and Stevie Wonder. The many different styles of music I was exposed to as a child not only influenced my vocal style, but even more so, my writing style." Her mom noticed Twain's talents, and soon the youngster was being shuttled to radio and TV studios, community centers, senior citizens' homes, "everywhere they could get me booked." An 8-year-old Twain was often pulled out of bed to sing with the house band at a local club but only after alcohol sales ended at midnight. Later, Twain spent summers working
with her stepfather as the foreman of a dozen-man reforestation crew in the
Canadian bush, where she learned to wield an axe and handle a chain saw as
well as any man. In the winter season, she would sing in clubs and do television and radio performances as often as her schooling would allow.
In 1987, at age 21, Twain lost her parents in an automobile accident. She took on the responsibility of raising her three younger siblings. She managed to keep the household going with a job at Ontario's Deerhurst Resort, which not only provided for her new family responsibilities but also gave her an education in every aspect of theatrical performance, from musical comedy to Andrew Lloyd Webber to Gershwin. Three years later, with her brothers grown enough to take care of themselves, Twain was on her own. Shedding her real name, Eileen, she adopted the Ojibway name of Shania, meaning "I'm on my way." Twain recorded a demo tape of original music and set her sights on Nashville.
Although Twain landed a record deal with Mercury Records on the basis of her original material, her self-titled 1993 debut album featured only one of her songs, the feisty "God Ain't Gonna Getcha for That." Singles "What Made You Say That" and "Dance With the One That Brought You" each peaked at No. 55 on the Billboard country singles chart. It took a phone call from a distant admirer, rock producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange (AD/DC, Def Leppard, Foreigner, Bryan Adams and many more) for Twain to find a true believer, both in her voice and her original songs. Twain and Lange met face to face in Nashville at Fan Fair in 1993 and married six months later, by which time they'd written half an album's worth of tunes together. As 1994 unfolded, they traveled and wrote their way across the United States, Canada, England, Spain, Italy and the Caribbean. They began to lay down basic tracks for a new album in Nashville, later recording overdubs and
mixing in Quebec.
The first results of their labor, "Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under," entered the Billboard country singles chart in January 1995, peaking at No. 11. Twain's second album, The Woman in Me, debuted on the country albums chart the following month. The collection has sold 18 million copies, making Twain the best-selling country female artist of all time. The single "Any Man of Mine," hit the charts in May and became the first of four consecutive No. 1 hits for Twain, including "(If You're Not in It for Love) I'm Outta Here!," "You Win My Love" and "No One Needs to Know." The project won a Grammy for country album of the year and was named album of the year by the Academy of Country Music in 1995.
Twain's third Mercury collection, Come on Over, was released in 1997, two years after her last album. The project continued Twain's hot streak, producing No. 1 hits "Honey, I'm Home" and "Love Gets Me Every Time." The sultry ballad "You're Still the One" went to No. 1 on the country singles chart and made it to No. 2 on Billboard's Hot 100 pop chart, solidifying Twain as a crossover artist. The sassy "Man! I Feel Like a Woman," a Top 5 country hit, helped secure the singer a contract with cosmetics company Revlon, which used the tune in TV ads featuring Twain. Come on Over has sold 11 million copies to date.
While The Woman in Me broke records and made Twain an international star, critics didn't know what to make of her sexy image and independent approach to marketing her music. Instead of touring to promote the record, Twain made a series of sexy videos, one of which was shot on location in Egypt. The singer finally mounted her first major tour in 1998 following the release of Come on Over. The highly anticipated outing helped earn Twain entertainer of the year trophies from the ACM and the Country Music Association in 1999. Twain has won a total of five Grammys, including two for best country song ("Come on Over" and "You're Still the One") and two for best country female vocal performance ("Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" and "You're Still the One"). She also has taken home trophies from the Canadian Country Music Awards, Canada's JUNO Awards and the American Music Awards. In 1999, Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) named Twain both country songwriter of the year and pop songwriter of the year. Her ballad, "You're Still the One," was named BMI's country and pop song of the year.
At the top of her game, Twain retreated to her home in Switzerland with her husband at the end of 1999. She and Lange welcomed their first child together in the summer of 2001 while preparing her 2002 release Up!, featuring the hit single "I'm Gonna Getcha Good."
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| …..some people take voice lessons to learn how to sing, but I just sat and listened to country records, like George Jones, Dolly Parton and stuff like that. What’s so familiar to me can be so foreign to other people, and I don’t realize that sometimes. But that’s how I learned how to sing.”
Somewhere between the blush of a new love and the bruises of a broken heart lies real life and real country music. Lee Ann Womack is a lifelong student of this reality, majoring in Jones and Wynette and graduating with honors, with the tender, yet tough spirit of teachers including Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn.
There’s More Where That Came From – the follow-up to her 2004 Greatest Hits collection -- is for everyone who’s ever loved, lost, and learned hard-earned lessons and lived to tell about it, including the singer herself.
“These are songs that aren’t afraid to tell the truth,” says Womack. “It is definitely honest music as far as the lyrics go. They’re a slice of life – the good, bad and the ugly.”
It’s not an accident that the album’s first single, “I May Hate Myself In The Morning,” sounds simultaneously like a classic country cheatin’ song and a contemporary breath of fresh air. “This is the kind of stuff I grew up listening to,” says the daughter of an east Texas country deejay, who practically wore out her father’s vinyl records, soaking up every vocal lick and turn of a phrase like a sponge. “How true is this song?” exclaims Womack. “Even if you haven’t been in that situation, we all know somebody who has. It’s just honest.”
“You know, the sad thing is, I always felt like I was born too late,” Womack admits. “Even when I was younger, I had an old soul. I chose these kinds of songs early on in my career, but if anything, I’m more able to relate to these kind of lyrics more now than before,” says the woman whose 2000 single, “I Hope You Dance,” made her worldly known.
“You can’t be married twice, have two kids and go through all I’ve gone through in the last few years without learning a few things, you know? I think I even sound a little wiser sometimes.”
And that she certainly does on “Twenty Years And Two Husbands Ago,” a song Womack wrote with veteran country writers Dean Dillon and Dale Dodson. The song’s opening line – Looking in the bathroom mirror, putting my makeup on/Maybelline can’t hide the lines of time that’s gone – is the kind of humble honesty that any woman can relate to. “I feel like that was kind of my ‘Tammy’ song,” says Womack. “I wanted a song or two that was classic and classy female country. Tammy and Dolly would sing in those sequined dresses, almost an evening gown kind of thing. And they’d sing songs of heartbreak. You don’t see females doing that anymore, but I knew I’d have fun doing it, and that was what I wanted to do with this record – just have fun and make music that I love.”
This time around Womack worked with hit-making producer Byron Gallimore, who’s best known for working with pop-flavored artists Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. “I can’t tell you how many people have stopped me and said, ‘You’re making a record with Byron Gallimore?’” laughs Womack. “Now people are calling me saying, ‘I can’t believe Byron did this record! It’s outstanding!’”
“Byron’s very talented and quite versatile. And anyone who’s really sat and listened to the records he’s made knows he’s one of the few who are capable of going the direction an artist wants to go,” she adds. “We just had fun. I hope that’s what it sounds like when people hear the record. If they know anything about me and the kind of music I love, they will know I had a blast making it.”
Womack estimates she personally listened to over a thousand songs to find the baker’s dozen on There’s More Where That Came From. “Then you have to add on how many Frank [Liddell, Womack’s husband and publisher/producer] listened to,” she says, “and how many Missy [Gallimore, music publishing exec and Byron’s wife] heard, too.”
The songs that made the cut examine everything from the wistful regret of “The Last Time” and playful sexiness of “What I Miss About Heaven,” to the numbing moment of a diminishing relationship, as sung in “Painless.” And the record’s introspective crown jewel just might be the Don Schlitz/Brett James-penned stunner “Stubborn (Psalm 151).”
“It’s hard for me to pass up any song that has a lot of ache in it,” explains the CMA Female Vocalist and Grammy award winner. “I don’t know why that is – I’ve been like that since I was little. Frank has taught me a lot of things about songs. He doesn’t like things that are cliché or trite, and he’s pointed that out to me. That’s not to say that there aren’t some lines sometimes that can be cliché, but I do think about those things now more than I used to. More than anything, I look for a song that makes me feel something. If I believe it, and if it makes me feel sad, or feel like laughing, or feel like dancing, it’s my kind of song.”
One day in the studio Lee Ann and Byron found they had an extra hour left at the end of a session. “Byron said, ‘We have time to cut something that you love, just anything from the past.’ I had been listening to The Essential Porter And Dolly, so I said, ‘I’d love to cut “Just Someone I Used To Know.” The guys didn’t even ask which one that was, everybody just stood up, went to their instruments and started playing. We got a key and cut it.”
Womack laughs when she recalls another day in the studio when the engineer was exposed to – and amazed by – her “country soul” way of singing. “I remember I was in the vocal booth and I could see Byron just dying laughing and talking to the engineer, Eric. I asked him what was so funny, and he got on the talkback and said, ‘Eric said, ‘I love her singing, but how does she do that? And where did she learn to do that?’ Byron thought it was so funny because I was just singing country. We went into this big thing about how some people take voice lessons to learn how to sing, but I just sat and listened to real country records, like George Jones, Dolly Parton, and stuff like that. What’s so familiar to me can be so foreign to other people, and I don’t realize that sometimes. But that’s how I learned to sing.”
One listen to There’s More Where That Came From is proof of that. And like the heroes who bared their souls through her father’s turntable, Womack has perfected the art of combining vulnerability with strength. “I hope people will enjoy it,” says Womack. “You can always pull out your old Tammy records or your old George or Dolly records – and I do it consistently, but I think it’s fun to have new recordings of things like that. I hope those people who have been missing out on classic country albums, find that this one fills the void. I hope they hear the honesty in the players, production and the singing. And I hope they have as much fun listening to it as we did making it.
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Gretchen Wilson: The Revolution Continue | | |
Eighteen months ago, Gretchen Wilson was a hopeful new artist, dreaming of someday becoming a country superstar. Someday came very soon for Gretchen, whose debut single, "Redneck Woman," shot up the charts at breakneck speed, spending six weeks at No. 1 (the longest stay at the top of the charts by a debut female country artist since 1964). Her first album, 2004's Here For The Party, quickly went quadruple platinum--in less than a year. Her second CD, All Jacked Up, went platinum in less than two months, and suddenly the road was Gretchen's middle name.
She hit the road almost immediately, opening shows for Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Martina McBride and Brooks Dunn last year. Last fall, she co-headlined a tour with her fellow MuzikMafia members Big & Rich, and in early '05, she was back on the Kenny Chesney tour. You might think this now road-veteran would be ready for a break, right? Not even close!
Last week Gretchen invited the Nashville media out to the official MuzikMafia headquarters--Fontanel, the former home of country legend Barbara Mandrell--to talk about her newest traveling show, "The Redneck Revolution Tour." This time, she's the sole headliner, supported by southern rock legends and now new country duo Van Zant, and country newcomer Blaine Larsen.
Gretchen, Johnny and Donnie Van Zant, and Blaine all gathered at Fontanel (also christened "The Plowboy Mansion" by the MuzikMafia) talk about how the tour came to be.
"It was one of those things that kind of fell into place," said Gretchen, as she and her touring mates sat down near the great room's roaring fireplace. "You kind of have to look at who’s ready to go out there at the same time you are, and who is going to appeal to the same fan base that you appeal to. I grew up listening to southern rock—not at the same time as these guys, but in a very similar way. So I knew immediately that it was going to hit home with the people who buy my records."
Johnny, Donnie and Blaine had been sitting on the good news for roughly two months, unable to say anything until the official press conference. "When I got the phone call that I was going to get to do this tour, I was literally jumping up in the air going, "I can't believe this!'" admitted Blaine. "I just wanted to scream it out, but I had to keep it under wraps."
"We're very excited," said Donnie, who's taken time off from his band, .38 Special, to record an album with brother Johnny. "We get to go out with Gretchen Wilson--are you kidding?! Plus, she's absolutely gorgeous," he adds with a smile.
"It's been a whirlwind year for us," added Johnny, who's on hiatus from his regular band, Lynyrd Skynyrd. "We've been wanting to make a country record for years."
"The Redneck Revolution Tour" kicks of January 18 in Dallas, Tx. and runs through April. It'll be another test of endurance for Gretchen, who earlier this year, took some time off when she began having vocal problems, most likely brought on by the endless days on the road. This time out, Gretchen says she's doing things a little differently.
"I’m going to start warming up [my voice before shows]," she says. "I’ve never done that before."
"Me too," states Johnny, who underwent vocal surgery eight weeks earlier because of more serious problems. "I had a polyp on my left vocal cord, and underneath that they found a cyst," he says. "So I was kind of messed up and didn’t realize it. But now I’ve got highs I didn’t know I had."
Both Johnny and Gretchen have been going to the Vanderbilt Voice Center to learn how to properly care for their voices. "We're both going to the same doctor," says Gretchen. " He’s a specialist, this doctor. He’s a pro. Obviously, he doesn’t know what it’s like to be out on the road and to live that life, but he does know how to take care of your voice. How to do things maybe just a little bit different than you used to do that will help save you. Because this is our life.
"If you stop and think about it, it’s very difficult for a singer to get sick," she continues. "Nobody wants to hear that. You’re disappointing a lot of people. Just something like a little cold can devastate a lot of people. And out on the road, we support a lot of people. There are a lot of families that are depending on us to be healthy and strong every night. So I think we should pat ourselves on the back for going in and taking the time to learn how to take care of ourselves."
Five days after this press conference, lots of folks were patting Gretchen on the back. She took home the award for Female Vocalist of the Year--a nice companion award to the CMA Horizon Award she won last year. But as she sat in the Plowboy Mansion contemplating her incredible, still-exploding career--and her chances of winning another CMA award--she kept it all in perspective.
"I never go into any of these things with any expectations," says Gretchen of awards shows. "I go to be entertained, just like I always have been, watching it on TV all my life. To be able to win awards really is just icing on the cake. It’s recognition, I think, first and foremost, that really comes out of these awards shows—just being recognized and respected for what you do. I’m excited about going to New York this year. I don’t know what to say to New York City except, ‘The hillbillies are coming to town!’"
And the "Redneck Revolution" is hitting the road. Gretchen graciously returns the praise her new touring mates have been heaping on her. "I grew up listening to the great music that the Van Zants have blessed us with," she says. "I think I’m really lucky to be able to have them out on tour with me. It’s a very familiar sound that feels like home to me. And the first time I heard Blaine on the radio, he blew me away. And then I saw him live and thought, ‘Man, that’s the real deal.’
"So I think I’ve got the best package there is right now out there," she says with a smile.
THE REDNECK REVOLUTION TOUR:
1/18 -- Dallas, TX -- Nokia Theater at Grand Prairie
3/10 -- Trenton, NJ -- Sovereign Bank Arena
1/19 -- Bossier City, LA -- CenturyTel Center
3/11 -- Providence, RI -- Dunkin Donuts Center
1/20 -- Montgomery, AL -- Garrett Coliseum
3/23 -- Tulsa, OK -- Tulsa Convention Center Arena
1/21 -- Greeneville, SC -- Bi-Lo Center
3/25 -- Tupelo, MS -- Bancorp South Center
1/26 -- Chattanooga, TN -- Univ. Tenn. Chattanooga McKenzie Arena
3/26 -- Carbondale, IL -- Southern Illinois University
1/27 -- Columbia, SC -- Colonial Center
3/31 -- Columbus, OH -- Value City Arena -- Schottenstein Center
2/1 -- Roanoke, VA -- Roanoke Civic Center
4/1 -- Evansville, IN -- Roberts Stadium
2/3 -- Winston-Salem, NC -- L-J-V-M Coliseum
4/2 -- Cincinnati, OH -- US Bank Arena
2/4 -- Savannah, GA -- Savannah Civic Center
4/5 -- Atlanta, GA -- The Arena at Gwinnett Center
2/10 -- Colorado Springs, CO -- World Arena
4/6 -- Gainesville, FL -- Stephen O'Connell Center
2/12 -- Lubbock, TX -- United Spirit Arena
4/7 -- Columbus, GA -- Columbus Civic Center
2/23 -- Lexington, KY -- Rupp Arena
4/8 -- Tallahassee, FL -- Tallahassee - Leon County Civic Center
2/24 -- Ft. Wayne, IN -- Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
4/27 -- Cleveland, OH -- Wolstein Center at C-S-U
3/1 -- Mankato, MN -- Midwest Wireless Civic Center
4/28 -- Peoria, IL -- Peoria Civic Center
3/2 -- Des Moines, IA -- Wells Fargo Arena
4/29 -- Southaven, MS -- Desoto Civic Center
3/3 -- Terre Haute, IN -- I-S-U Hulman Center
3/8 -- Huntington, WV -- Big Sandy Superstore Arena
On the Web: www.gretchenwilson.com; thevanzants.com; blainelarsen.com.
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Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood were married Saturday (Dec. 10) during a private ceremony at their home in Claremore, Okla. The couple filed for a marriage license Friday in Rogers County, Okla.
The wedding was confirmed by Brooks' publicist, Nancy Seltzer, who told the Associated Press, "They said it is the perfect Christmas gift to each other and they couldn't be happier."
Brooks proposed to Yearwood, 41, in May at Buck Owens' Crystal Palace in Bakersfield, Calif., in front of 7,000 fans who attended the unveiling of bronze statues honoring 10 country music legends, including Brooks.
Brooks, 43, married Sandy Mahl in 1986. Citing irreconcilable differences, he filed for divorce in 2000. He moved from Nashville after announcing a hiatus from the music business to spend more time with his three daughters in Oklahoma.
Yearwood, 41, has been married twice and has no children. Her 1987 marriage to Chris Latham lasted four years. She married Mavericks bassist Robert Reynolds during a 1994 ceremony at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. They divorced five years later.
The couple's honeymoon plans are unknown, but Yearwood is scheduled to appear Tuesday (Dec. 13) in Nashville at the annual Parade of Pennies concert. The charity concert at the Wildhorse Saloon will also feature Sugarland, Van Zant and Jason Aldean.
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TOP 100 Hobbies & Allerlei | | | |
Willie Nelson Releases Song About Gay Co | | | Willie Nelson Releases Song About Gay Cowboys
After contributing a version of Bob Dylan's "He Was a Friend of Mine" for the Brokeback Mountain film soundtrack, Willie Nelson has recorded a new song, "Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly (Fond of Each Other)." The plot of Brokeback Mountain centers around the romantic relationship between two cowboys. "Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly (Fond of Each Other)" was written in 1981 by Ned Sublette, a New York-based songwriter who was born in Texas. Nelson recorded the song exclusively for iTunes, although plans are underway to include it on a future album and to produce a music video. The song begins with the lyrics, "There's many a strange impulse out on the plains of West Texas/There's many a young boy who feels things he can't comprehend." In a written statement, Nelson noted, "The song's been in the closet for 20 years. The timing's right for it to come out. I'm just opening the door."
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It's that time of year again, time for the fans to stand up and be heard by voting for the 2006 CMT Music Awards, country's only fan-voted awards show. First-round voting is now open. Be sure to check out the nominees, then vote for your favorite four videos in each category. Remember, you can only vote once per round, so choose your nominees carefully. First-round voting will end at 11:59 p.m. ET on March 9.
Final nominees in each category will be announced March 15, and final voting will begin. Be sure to return to CMT.com to vote for the winners in all categories except the video of the year. The final four nominees in the video of the year category will be announced during the live broadcast April 10, and voting will take place during the show.
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American Idol Winner and Songwriters Celebrate Their Hit Single
With everybody still somewhat awestruck and overwhelmed at the song's success, Carrie Underwood and the three writers of "Jesus, Take the Wheel"...
With everybody still somewhat awestruck and overwhelmed at the song's success, Carrie Underwood and the three writers of "Jesus, Take the Wheel" gathered Tuesday afternoon (May 2) at the ASCAP lobby in Nashville during their No. 1 party.
"I had the easiest job in the world," Underwood told more than a hundred well-wishers. "For somebody to basically put a song like 'Jesus, Take the Wheel' in my lap and say, 'Go!' ... it's the luckiest thing for me ever. These people around me that I've met had the tough job. I just got to sing a wonderful song. I'm the luckiest person ever. Thank you guys for writing it, and thank you for letting me, of all people, have it. I appreciate it."
The writers of the song -- Brett James, Hillary Lindsey and Gordie Sampson -- were all quick to applaud Underwood's interpretation of the song which held the No. 1 position on Billboard's country airplay chart for six weeks.
"It's very rare that a record comes back and just blows your mind," James said. "That's what happened. It's blown my mind as well as all of America."
Lindsey noted, "I just wanted to say, 'Thank you, Carrie Underwood, for trying out for American Idol!'" After praising her vocal performance, Lindsey optimistically added, "I'm looking forward to more hits with Carrie."
Sampson concluded, "I'd also like to thank Carrie because, as songwriters, the best thing we could ask for is to have someone sing our song and sound like you wrote it when you sing it. We really, really appreciate that. Thank you."
Producer Mark Bright referred to Underwood as "an absolute blessing in my life." He took a spiritual approach to describe the experience of recording the song. "I definitely think there was a higher power involved," he said. "There's no question in my mind."
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Lynn Anderson Arrested on DUI Charge | | |
Singer Lynn Anderson, 58, is free on bond after being arrested on a drunken driving charge following a traffic accident Wednesday (May 3) near Española, N.M. Anderson, who won a Grammy for her 1970 hit, "Rose Garden," posted a $615 bond and will be arraigned May 17 on charges of suspicion of careless driving and aggravated driving under the influence. Police said Anderson, a resident of Taos, N.M., failed field sobriety tests and refused to take a breathalyzer test after her vehicle ran into the back of a car. No one was injured in the collision. Anderson was previously convicted on a drunken driving charge after authorities found her passed out in a car on the shoulder of the highway in Denton, Texas. In 2005, she was arrested for allegedly shoplifting a copy of a Harry Potter DVD from a store in Taos. In an agreement with the Taos district attorney's office, the shoplifting charge was dismissed as long as Anderson did not commit other offenses. . |
Gretchen Wilson Breaks Two Ribs After AT | | |
Gretchen Wilson broke two ribs after falling off an ATV, she announced to an audience at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn., on Thursday (May 11). Earlier that day, she had X-rays taken at a nearby hospital, then showed them to the crowd. Wilson's tour Web site indicates that no dates have been postponed. She wraps the Redneck Revolution tour with Trace Adkins and Blaine Larsen on May 27 in Birmingham, Ala. All remaining shows are sold
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Vince Gill, Sugarland and Keith Urban Di | | |
LAS VEGAS -- Vince Gill, Sugarland and Keith Urban will all be issuing new albums before the end of the year, and they gave reporters backstage at the Academy of Country Music Awards some insight about what to expect -- and when.
Gill said his new project will span several genres and include duets with the likes of country favorite John Anderson, jazz singer Diana Krall and bluegrass hero Del McCoury. He expects to release it in October.
"It's a period in my life when I feel the years adding on, and they're moving on to the boys with the muscles and stuff, and that's OK," he said. "It's the way it's supposed to be. I just felt a little bit lost." But a phone call to perform at Eric Clapton's guitar festival in Dallas in 2004 "took the handcuffs off me," inspiring him to start making music again. He's been in the studio to work on the new music for the past eight months.
Fans who watched him accept the Humanitarian Award might have noticed that he's slimmed down recently.
"I'm getting in shape. I've seen the writing on the wall. You've got to be hot to be good," he said, only half-joking. "I'm trying, you know? I've eaten so many steaks and egg whites the last couple of months. I'm about sick to death of oatmeal and egg whites, but I've lost 20 pounds. I've been working out with a trainer. It's healthy. I'm not trying to crash diet like I used to. It's so much healthier."
Then he added, "In all honesty, I want to live a long time. It's not about my career on TV. It's about wanting to be around for my kid who's 5 years old. When she graduates from high school, I'm going to need a walker. There's a pretty good chance of that. But I've got to tell you, I feel like my best music is still ahead of me. I've had a great career and a lot of great records and a lot of wonderful things that have happened to me. But I know in my heart, my best is yet to come."
Asked if Sugarland has a clear plan for the future, lead singer Jennifer Nettles quickly replied, "Absolutely. Fast and furious. Full speed ahead. We're in the studio right now recording a new record. We're super excited about it. We've been writing for that for a number of months now. I love what we're doing. It's full and rich and meaty and fun, all at the same time. I can't wait for people to hear it." The album is scheduled for a fourth-quarter release.
Earlier this year, Nettles notched a No. 1 country hit without Sugarland on "Who Says You Can't Go Home," a duet with Bon Jovi. She's not concerned that fans might think she's trying to go solo by singing beyond the boundaries of her band.
"I think the boat rises with the tide," she said. "I think if we get out there, however we get out there, that's important. As long as you're having fun and doing what you love, the fans will see that. The fact that we're still standing up here at every awards show, it's pretty funny."
She and bandmate Kristian Bush are also unsure whether to call themselves a duo or group, even though they won for top new duo or group.
"We're such a band mentality anyway," Nettles said. "We've done this for so long and been in bands. It's hard to feel any differently than that. I don't know. I guess I would leave it up to the public to say whatever you want us to be. Obviously, we're two people, but we have a band sound and a band behind us. We write together. There are so many different dynamics for how someone might describe that."
Meanwhile, Urban told reporters he's about halfway through making his next record. He's shooting for a new single in August. Because he'll be in the studio most of the summer, his tour dates are limited -- but not completely wiped off his calendar.
"The odd part is, when you're making a new record, you're going out to tour and doing all these old songs," he said. "And your head is very much in the new record. So that side of it is very discombobulating. But we've got scattered shows throughout the summer because I go a little nutty without playing. I'm a little nutty anyway, but we're going to do enough shows to keep my sanity intact."
Urban's dry sense of humor also brought some laughter to the press room when asked if Bette Midler would be indeed performing "Wind Beneath My Wings" at his wedding to actress Nicole Kidman, as was reported by an Australian tabloid.
"Really? Fantastic!" he deadpanned. "I'm looking forward to that. It's my absolute favorite song now, that's for sure. That would be killer."
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Faith Hill Sunshine & Summertime | | | See Your Video on TV!
Have you ever wanted to be in a music video? Write or direct a music video? Well, here's your chance! Produce your own version of a music video (not to exceed 30 seconds in length) for Faith Hill's single "Sunshine & Summertime."
Then upload the Mpeg, AVI or Quicktime clip via FTP. If your video is chosen as the one that best demonstrates "Sunshine & Summertime," we'll show it on Top Twenty Countdown. Get the cameras rolling now because all videos must be submitted by Aug. 20! |
Martina McBride Kicks Off Christmas in C | | | CHICAGO -- Leave your cowboy hats at home for this one, fans. Martina McBride's Joy of Christmas is here to ring in the Christmas season, but there's nothing country about it. So you don't have to be a fan of country to love this show. You do,
however, have to be a fan of Christmas and everything that comes with it. Replace the fiddles with flutes, the banjos with sleigh bells and the twang with soprano, and you get the idea.
Opening night of the two-hour show on Friday (Nov. 24) was held at the Allstate Arena outside of Chicago. But McBride gave the usually cold and cavernous arena a more intimate feel by inviting all the children up on stage. A giddy group of about 100 kids, mostly girls from 3 to 13, sat by her side as she sang, told stories and welcomed Santa up on stage. "His people called my people," she told the crowd. And when he asked her what she wanted for Christmas this year, McBride said "I want the Chicago Bears to win the Super Bowl." Good answer.
The backdrop for all the Christmas cheer changed from song to song, reminiscent of a Currier & Ives winter scene at one point to a bright and bold Nutcracker scene at another. While the kids were still up on stage, McBride took a break from all the singing to invite morning-show DJ Lisa Dent from Chicago's country radio station (US99) to tell a story with her. They took turns reading 'Twas the Night Before Christmas to the group, who hung on their every word.
With that story, and the spiritual set list, there was never a doubt that this was a Christmas show. While some artists try to weave a non-denominational holiday spirit into their concerts this time of year, with songs of Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, McBride seemed to take pride in her Christian roots and all the hymns she grew up on. For "O Come, All Ye Faithful," the stage was set like a nativity scene come to life, complete with Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus. For "Silent Night," she was surrounded by hundreds of flickering lights on elaborate candelabras. And on "What Child Is This?" the stage was transformed to look like a grand cathedral with stained glass windows behind her.
But it didn't feel like midnight mass all night long. There were plenty of songs about Santa, his reindeer, snow, jingling bells and roasting chestnuts. Then with a quick scene change, she was able to bring Dean Martin back to life via an onstage screen image, so they could sing "Baby, It's Cold Outside" together. They even bantered back and forth a little, with plenty of eggnog jokes and retro sexist remarks from the virtual Martin.
While there was no band (except for a pianist during the one ode to her country-star status ("In My Daughter's Eyes"), the cast was comprised of about 10 actors, including McBride's own daughters. Her middle daughter, Emma, 8, had the biggest role of all as a little girl reluctant to fall asleep on Christmas Eve during "Winter Wonderland."
Country artists usually score points for interacting with the audience more than most, and McBride did her best to get out there -- literally -- and chat with fans. "We're gonna get a little Jerry Springer/Oprah thing going and see what your Christmas morning is like," she said. Then she left the stage and walked the entire perimeter of the arena floor asking people what they hoped to get for Christmas, what their favorite holiday dish was and which holiday CD was the best. For Kiera, Jenny, Morgan, Matthew and Sophie, it was a night they will never forget. McBride even gave the audience a glimpse into her own home on Christmas morning to prove that she's just like the rest of us, and that "the kids are in charge." Home movie clips of her girls shaking gifts ("It sounds like clothes") and attempting the first ride on a new bike ("I don't like hills"), did knock McBride off the celebrity pedestal and made her seem very real.
And like any woman who uses the season to bring out her holiday best, McBride made good use of her designer wardrobe. She wore a total of eight outfits throughout the show, ranging from office-party casual to formal floor-length gowns. In between, there was silver brocade, black velvet, gold sequins and winter white silk. For some lucky Nashville stylist, this show was a dream come true.
McBride performed her final carol of the night, "O Holy Night," a cappella. The only accompaniment was the roaring applause of the thousands of fans who left the show remembering what Christmas was really all about.
Joy of Christmas, now in its fourth year, will make 15 more stops across the country before McBride settles back in Nashville to spend the holidays at home with her family.
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