Thursday, October 25, 2012
Happy Birthday, Minnie Pearl
Kelly Lang's Album (1988)
Ricky Rogers/The Tennessean
Patsy Cline
On November 13, Universal Music's Hip-O Records will release a new Patsy Cline album called "On The Air: Her Greatest TV Performances".
Culled mostly from Patsy's appearances on WSM-TV's "Pet Milk Grand Ole Opry" show, hosted by T. Tom...
Culled mostly from Patsy's appearances on WSM-TV's "Pet Milk Grand Ole Opry" show, hosted by T. Tom...
my Cutrer, the album will include the audio from 3 performances that have never been previously released to the public.
Track List:
* Crazy
* She's Got You
* Strange [Previously Unreleased]
* Imagine That
* Walkin' After Midnight
* A Church, A Courtroom, Then Goodbye
* I Fall To Pieces
* You're Stronger Than Me [Previously Unreleased]
* So Wrong
* When I Get Through With You (You'll Love Me Too)
* Why Can't He Be You [Previously Unreleased]
* Blue Moon of Kentucky
* Leavin' On Your Mind
* San Antonio Rose
Order your copy today:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B008XNPNOY/patsclintheladyt
Track List:
* Crazy
* She's Got You
* Strange [Previously Unreleased]
* Imagine That
* Walkin' After Midnight
* A Church, A Courtroom, Then Goodbye
* I Fall To Pieces
* You're Stronger Than Me [Previously Unreleased]
* So Wrong
* When I Get Through With You (You'll Love Me Too)
* Why Can't He Be You [Previously Unreleased]
* Blue Moon of Kentucky
* Leavin' On Your Mind
* San Antonio Rose
Order your copy today:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B008XNPNOY/patsclintheladyt
Jim Reeves
(Joe Rudis / The Tennessean)
[Courtesy of The Tennessean | Tennessean.com]
Floyd Cramer
(Joe Rudis / The Tennessean)
[Courtesy of The Tennessean | Tennessean.com]
Center Stage at the Opry
[Courtesy of LuLu Roman and Friends]
Pioneers of Country Music
(Robert Johnson / The Tennessean)
[Courtesy of The Tennessean | Tennessean.com]
Minnie Pearl
(J.T. Phillips / The Tennessean)
[Courtesy of The Tennessean | Tennessean.com]
Friday, October 12, 2012
Johnny Cash Museum Store preps for opening
The long-awaited Johnny Cash Museum Store is slated to open within two weeks, according to museum founder Bill Miller.The 850-square-foot retail space will anchor The Johnny Cash Museum, which is still several months from being unveiled, Miller said. Both the store and the museum are located in a vintage building on Third Avenue South about one-half block south of Broadway.
Miller (pictured) said the museum store will feature various memorabilia dedicated to Cash and his career. For example, the retail shop will offer autographed vinyl albums, photographs and books. T-shirts will also figure prominently.
“We are taking a curatorial approach,” Miller said of the retail shop, adding that he and his team have assessed retail spaces at high-end museums devoted to, for example, presidential libraries.
Miller, who is based in California and is known to have one of the world’s largest collections of Cash memorabilia (he operates johnnycashstore.com), said he wanted to open the retail space first, as it will serve as a “beachhead” of sorts. Currently, large-scale museum pieces are being built off-site.
The effort has not come without challenges, as both the SoBro-based retail store and museum will open later than Miller would have preferred.
“It’s a huge undertaking,” he said.
(Published October 10, 2012 by William Williams)
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
One of the most popular songs of the 20th century
What makes the Tennessee Waltz so beautiful?
The song is beautiful to me for its warm memories of childhood. My mother played that record, 78 rpm on shellac, and danced around holding me up high, singing along with Patti Page. But it's not just simple sentimentality that endears Tennessee Waltz to so many people.
Patti Page recorded Tennessee Waltz as the B side of a 1950 Christmas disc and since then it's been recorded more than 300 times, and won the BMI's 3,000,000 Airplay Award - the equivalent to 17.1 years of continuous playing!
In 1965, Tennessee Waltz became the fourth official song of the State of Tennessee.
The song is beautiful to me for its warm memories of childhood. My mother played that record, 78 rpm on shellac, and danced around holding me up high, singing along with Patti Page. But it's not just simple sentimentality that endears Tennessee Waltz to so many people.
Patti Page recorded Tennessee Waltz as the B side of a 1950 Christmas disc and since then it's been recorded more than 300 times, and won the BMI's 3,000,000 Airplay Award - the equivalent to 17.1 years of continuous playing!
In 1965, Tennessee Waltz became the fourth official song of the State of Tennessee.
“Tennessee Waltz” sheet music on permanent display
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A Tennessee Waltz
A Tennessee Waltz is an elegant gala evening, created by the Tennessee State Museum Foundation, and hosted by Governor Bill Haslam and First Lady Crissy Haslam. Now in its 20th year, the Waltz, set for Saturday, April 21, at 7 p.m. in the State Capitol, will celebrate its silver anniversary. Each spring since 1993, approximately 300 guests from across the state have attended this formal dinner dance in Tennessee’s historic State Capitol (completed in 1859), which is considered to be the masterpiece of renowned architect William Strickland’s career. The attendees at the Waltz comprise a diverse group of history and arts patrons, legislators, statewide cultural activists, community leaders, corporate executives and non-profit social volunteers.
The highlight of the Gala is always the performance of the country standard “Tennessee Waltz” by a legendary entertainer. This year the gala is honored to have Country Music Hall of Fame member and multi-CMA and Grammy winner Vince Gill perform. In past years, such musical luminaries as Alison Krauss & the Union Station Band, Emmylou Harris, Steve Winwood, Brooks and Dunn, Patti Page, Lyle Lovett, Donna Summer, Olivia Newton-John, Deanna Carter, John Hiatt and the Fairfield Four have sung the PeeWee King – Redd Stewart-penned classic.The Museum Foundation is pleased to announce that for the first time ever a team comprised of a wife and husband and daughter will serve as chairs of its premiere fundraising gala, A Tennessee Waltz. Nashvillians Pam and Mike Koban, along with their daughter, Katie, are the 2012 gala chairs, along with honorary hosts, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam and First Lady Crissy Haslam. The gala provides the primary source of revenue for the annual operation of the museum Foundation.
The Kobans have deep roots in Middle Tennessee as Mike has held a number of high-level positions at several area health care concerns. With more than 30 years of experience in the health care field, he currently serves as president and CEO of Iroquois Capital Group, a Nashville-based merchant banking company. He was a co-founder and CEO of NetCare Health Systems, a senior vice president-finance and board member of Health Trust and served as treasurer of Hospital Corporation of America. He is the former chairman of the boards of Nashville Public Radio and the Community Aids Partnership.
Pam worked in the Tennessee higher education system for 10 years, both in the University of Tennessee system as well as in the state Board of Regents system, prior to retiring to raise their three children. An active community volunteer, Pam, who is currently a member of the Board of Trustees at Montgomery Bell Academy, is a former state president of the American Lung Association of Tennessee and former board chair of the Martha O’Bryan Center. She and Mike are both elders at Westminster Presbyterian Church.
Daughter Katie, a graduate of the University of Colorado-Boulder, received her law degree from the Nashville School of Law. She is employed as a vice president of compliance at Iroquois Capital Group. Like her parents, Katie has been active in the community having volunteered with the Eating Disorders Coalition of TN, the Martha O’Bryan Center, Generation Tennessee and All About Women. She is a member of the State Museum’s Young Professionals Council (YPC), the Nashville Junior League, the Harpeth Hall Young Alumni Council, and the Kappa Alpha Theta Alumni Chapter Special Events Committee. Along with the help of her fellow YPC members Joe Burchfield and YPC President Sara Jo Houghland, Katie will oversee the inaugural Waltz Late Party for young professionals, which will begin immediately following dinner (at approximately 10:30 p.m.) in the Capitol.
A Tennessee Waltz 2012 Ladies’ & Gentlemen’s Committees Co-Chairs
Noted Middle Tennessee interior designer Shirley Horowitz, who was integrally involved in the recently completed renovation of the state’s Executive Residence, and her husband, Nashville dermatologist David H. Horowitz, have been named Co-Chairs of the 2012 A Tennessee Waltz Ladies’ & Gentlemen’s Committees. They have graciously agreed to host a pre-Waltz reception for the committees at their Brook Hollow Road home on Saturday, March 31 from 7 to 9 p.m. The $200 per person, casually festive evening, features cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and a spectacular silent auction.
Mrs. Horowitz, a Nashville native, is the President of Davishire Interiors. She has also been a volunteer and contributor to Abe’s Garden, seeking to build a premiere Alzheimer’s facility at Park Manor, an independent, not-for-profit, living facility on Woodmont Boulevard. Dr. Horowitz, a St. Petersburg, Florida native, has served as a volunteer professor at Vanderbilt, Meharry and Trevecca universities.
For an invitation to the event or for more information, please contact Museum Director of External Affairs Leigh Hendry at lhendry@bellsouth.net or by calling (615) 253-0130.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Loretta Lynn - I'm As Country As Cornbread
LORETTA LYNN: ‘I’M AS COUNTRY AS CORNBREAD’
Melissa Ruggieri – AccessAtlanta.comFew legends are as candid as Loretta Lynn.
Many are so robotically polished that they’ll dodge a question or spout a rote answer rather than go off script.
Not Lynn. She has no script. Her frankness and sass haven’t diminished a whit in 80 years and, as a bonus, she’s an accommodating and cheerful subject.
With a repertoire of more than 50 albums and almost 90 singles (16 that went No. 1), Lynn’s pioneer status as a female country music singer-songwriter is unparalleled.
She’s also still on the road several times a month – Friday she hits Chastain Park Amphitheatre – and her life story is being turned into a Broadway show starring a hand-picked Zooey Deschanel.
Last week, Lynn chatted from her ranch in Tennessee about the play, her life and her love of Alan Jackson.
We’ll just get out of the way now and let her do the rest.
Q. What keeps you touring, especially outside in these hot summer months??
A.It’s just one of them things. When somebody needs you, you just go. Am I playing outside there?
Q. Yes, very much so.
A. Well, I’m glad you told me that! Then I’ll come in my blue jeans. That’s my everyday dress, anyway.
Q. Are there any songs you feel you have to play, but would rather not?
A. You have to do ‘Coal Miner’s Daughter.’ They’re hollering right off the bat for that one. I tell ‘em, ‘Just wait a minute!’ Not everything I’ve recorded has been a hit, and you just get to where you do some songs because [the audience] is gonna make you do them. They paid their admission.
Q. Do you ever get tired of singing a staple like “Coal Miner’s Daughter”?
A. Sometimes I’ll get wrapped around it. If I start thinking about it, I go back to the hills of Kentucky in my mind.
Q. Do you still keep in touch with Sissy Spacek?
A. We were together not too long ago. If anything happens for me, she’ll be there. We got real close making that movie.
Q. Your life story is headed to Broadway and you picked Zooey Deschanel to portray you. What was it about her that appealed to you?
A. Back in the day, her and I were about the same size. We had the same color eyes. I told her that I was with Sissy for a year before ‘Coal Miners’ so if you need me, let me know. I said, ‘Don’t feel bad callin’ me.’”
Q. Has she yet?
A. Not yet, but she knows I’m working.
Q. Your last album was almost a decade ago…
A. Was it, really? With Jack [White]?
Q. Well, it was 2004, so almost a decade ago.
A. Whew. Well, I’ve got 60-something things cut already. I’ve got a Christmas album, two religious albums. I’m gonna put ‘em out and get ‘em on the radio.
Q. Do you think you’ll do another collaboration, like you did in the ‘90s with Tammy Wynette and Dolly Parton?
A. Me and my sisters were supposed to record together, but Crystal Gayle [her youngest sister] is so doggone slow! It takes her 10 years to walk across town. If they want to record with me, they know where I’m at.
Q. Who do you still want to record with?
A. Me and Merle Haggard are going to do a record. He hasn’t lost one note of his voice. I want to record a song with him that he wrote, ‘Today I Started Loving You Again.’ And Alan Jackson, I do love him.
Q. Should we tell him to give you a call?
A. He’s so bashful, he don’t give nobody a call. But if he was to change, I wouldn’t like him. Alan, he’s a good old country boy. I love Garth [Brooks], too. Now Garth, he’ll call me, but Alan doesn’t do stuff like that.
Q. Working with Jack White turned out to be a success. Are there any other young artists you admire creatively?
A. Carrie Underwood. I think she is one of the best girl singers today. She can sing anything.
Q. What do you think about the current Nashville scene?
A. Country today is like pop music was 40 years ago, that’s the way I see it. But I don’t think it’s a bad thing. I like the polished sound of country, even though I’m as country as cornbread.
Q. Do you consider yourself a feminist, considering your songs such as “The Pill” and “Don’t Come Home a-Drinkin’”?
A. I think I do. But that’s what no one could understand, that I could think that way and be so country. But you can be country and speak up. I had my opinions and I let everybody know it.
Q. Your third book came out earlier this year [“Honky Tonk Girl: My Life in Lyrics”]. Do you really feel your lyrics are the best depiction of who you are?
A. I think I thought myself into my songs. There will be a line that nobody will ever know it’s about me except me. I haven’t had anybody figure it out. But I need to start getting into writing. I feel it. There are a lot of songs I ain’t wrote that I need to do.
Q. What do you still want to accomplish?
A. I want to have more hits. Giving up is for quitters! No one says anything anymore [in songs]. They need me out there.
(lorettalynn.com)
Monday, August 20, 2012
Lynn Anderson Interview
For over four decades, Lynn Anderson has played a vital role in the country music scene. She has won a pair of ACM “Top Female Vocalist” awards [in 1968 and 1970], the prestigious CMA “Female Vocalist of the Year” award in 1971, a Grammy, and holds multiple honors to her credit.
On February 20, 2012, Suite101 spoke with the beloved songstress about her career, mega-hit “I Never Promised You a Rose Garden,” Martina McBride, as well as her future plans in music.
Lynn Talks About Country Music
“I love the fans. There is nobody more loyal than country fans. Once they are a fan, they are always a fan,” she acknowledges.
Lynn Opens Up About “Rose Garden”
Her smash single “I Never Promised You a Rose Garden” spent five weeks at the top of the Billboard Country Charts in the early 1970s, reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts, and was a #1 hit in many countries overseas.
Regarding the success of her signature tune, she states, “it felt great! It became a #1 hit on the Cash Box Charts on the same that I had my baby daughter. It was quite a day for me!”
Subsequently, it garnered a prestigious Grammy award for “Best Female Country Vocal Performance” in 1971. “That was amazing! That was an evening like no other, to be recognized by your peers,” she shares.
Lynn Talks About Martina McBride
Lynn remarks, “Martina McBride covered ‘Rose Garden’ for her Timeless album, and I thought it was great! She’s wonderful, and she’s quite a girl. Four of the people in her band had worked for me at one point, including her bandleader. When she did her television special in support of her record, she invited me and Ray Price to sing with her on stage.”
“That was a great honor. When I walked into the Grand Ole Opry, the orchestra was playing ‘Rose Garden,’ so I walked up to microphone and started singing it. The bandleader came up to me and said ‘that was great, but did you realize that it was a key higher than you did it in,’” she says with a laugh.
The veteran musician notes that there is a rose named after her, and when she and McBride performed a rendition of “Rose Garden” as a duet, she handed her a “Lynn Anderson rose,” which she describes as “white with raspberry around the edges.”
Lynn Discusses “40 Greatest Women of Country Music” Recognition
In 2002, Country Music Television (CMT) honored Lynn in its “40 Greatest Women of Country” episode, listing her as the 29th most influential woman in the genre’s history. “That was incredible to be in the same line-up with some of my heroes that include Patsy Cline, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn and Connie Smith. To be ranked amongst these women is thrilling!” she exclaims.
Lynn Addresses Hardest Aspect of her Job
“The hardest part of my job is staying current,” she reveals. “To stay up with new trends, as well as the changes in the music business is a challenge. Also, travelling is a lot more difficult now than it used to be. We travel by airplane all the time, and very rarely we take the bus. Flying has become much more of a chore than it used to be.”
Lynn Talks About Riding Horses
In addition to being one of country’s greatest vocalists, she is a trained equestrian.
According to Lynn, “I’ve been riding horses all of my life. My grandparents raised horses in North Dakota, so I started riding them when I was two years old. They said I could ride and sing, before I could walk and talk. I’ve always loved horses. When I go travelling, I ride the native horses. When I sing in foreign countries, I like to sing in foreign languages as well.”
Lynn Talks Alternate Careers
“I would love to be a journalist,” she admits.” That’s what I majored in school. I was writing stories in my high school paper. I was the editor of my high school and college newspapers. When some of the artists would come into town, I would be the reporter from the newspaper to go backstage and interview them. A while back, I’ve interviewed Sonny and Cher years, Glenn Campbell, and The Dave Clark Five.”
Lynn Talks About Contemporary Country Singers
“I love Brad Paisley, and I think he’s incredible. He pays respect to some of the legendary artists. I love his collaborations with Little Jimmy Dickens. I also love Jennifer Nettles from Sugarland. She has such a great voice and an interesting personality.”
Lynn Shares her Future Plans
“I am doing a lot of travelling and I am remodeling my house. I’m also activated on Twitter and Facebook. I need to get in the swing of things to keep up in Nashville,” she says.
Lynn adds that she continues to do meet and greets with her fans. “I believe that the personal interaction with fans is important! They remember you if you sign autographs, and they remember if you do not.”
In her spare time, she notes that she enjoys riding horses, cooking [especially Mexican food] and gardening.
Lynn Talks About the Key to Longevity in Music
“Mine is just a blessing,” she says. “I’ve been lucky, and I have been able to maintain my voice, and work for a very long time now. I really enjoy it!”
Lynn Offers Advice for Aspiring Country Singers
For people that wish to go into country music, Lynn underscores that it’s important for them to be themselves. “My mother told me that long ago. I used to sing what was on the radio, and she reminded me to always be myself, since it didn’t do any good to sing like everybody else. You need to have some individuality. Be true to yourself and do not let people change you and who you are,” she adds.
Lynn Defines Success
“Success means being able to come home to my friends and family, as well as to enjoy life,” the country queen concludes.
This Day In Country Music History
August 20, 1923
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 James Travis "Jim" Reeves (August 20, 1923 – July 31, 1964) was an American country and popular music singer-songwriter. With records charting from the 1950s to the 1980s, he became well known as a practitioner of the Nashville sound (a mixture of older country-style music with elements of popular music).
Known as Gentleman Jim, his songs continued to chart for years after his death. Reeves died at age 40 in the crash of a private airplane. He is a member of both the Country Music and Texas Country Music Halls of Fame.
Early Career
Reeves began to work as a radio announcer, and sang live between songs. During the late 1940s, he was contracted with a couple of small Texas-based recording companies, but without success. Influenced by such Western swing-music artists as Jimmie Rodgers and Moon Mullican, as well as popular singers Bing Crosby, Eddy Arnold and Frank Sinatra, it was not long before he was a member of Moon Mullican's band, and made some early Mullican-style recordings like "Each Beat of my Heart" and "My Heart's Like a Welcome Mat" from the late 1940s to the early 1950s. He eventually obtained a job as an announcer for KWKH-AM in Shreveport, Louisiana, home of the popular radio program Louisiana Hayride. According to former Hayride master of ceremonies Frank Page, one day singer Sleepy LaBeef was late for a performance for the Hayride, and Reeves was asked to substitute. (Other accounts—-including Reeves himself, in an interview on the RCA album Yours Sincerely—-name Hank Williams as the absentee.)
Legacy
Reeves was elected posthumously to the Country Music Hall of Fame during 1967, which honored him by saying, "The velvet style of 'Gentleman Jim Reeves' was an international influence. His rich voice brought millions of new fans to country music from every corner of the world. Although the crash of his private airplane took his life, posterity will keep his name alive because they will remember him as one of country music's most important performers."
During 1998, he was inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in Carthage, Texas, where the Jim Reeves Memorial is located. The inscription on the memorial reads, "If I, a lowly singer, dry one tear, or soothe one humble human heart in pain, then my homely verse to God is dear, and not one stanza has been sung in vain." |
Sunday, August 19, 2012
The Bellamy Brothers to Release New Gospel Album ‘Pray for Me’ on September 4
The tunes on ‘Pray for Me’ are heartfelt and inspirational, with powerful messages behind all of the lyrics. “We decided to record our second gospel album because gospel and Christian music is one of our favorite genres,” says David Bellamy of the new project. ”We also received such a great reaction from our ‘Jesus Is Coming’ album we did a few years ago, it seemed like a natural progression from that album to the new one.”
“Creating this new album was a labor of love for us, and an element we hope we can always add to our variety of projects,” Howard Bellamy adds.
The Bellamy Brothers have received much support and recognition in their career, which has spanned almost four decades. They’ve seen two Dove nominations and a Grammy nod for the Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group. They have also been named the Top Country Duo by Billboard, and have set the record for the most duo nominations from both the Academy of Country Music (ACM) and the Country Music Association (CMA).
The group’s first Gospel album, ‘Jesus Is Coming (And Boy Is He Pissed)’, sparked much controversy with the title track, but was later nominated for two Dove Awards from the Gospel Music Association and received rave reviews from critics. The duo’s ‘Pray for Me’ record is now available for pre-order through iTunes.
Bellamy Brothers, ‘Pray for Me’ Track Listing:
1. ’Jesus Ain’t No Stained Glass Window’
2. ’Pray for Me’
3. ’Holy Roller’
4. ’Spirit in the Sky’
5. ’Suppertime’
6. ’God Ain’t Finished With Me Yet’
7. ’Hypocrites in Heaven’
8. ’Hymn to Him’
9. ’The Spanish Bible’
10. ’Number of Breaths’
11. ’New Man in the Suit’
12. ’Rodeo for Jesus’
13. ’Guardian Angel’
14. ’Hand Me My Bible’
(Taste of Country)
Country Artists We’ve Lost in 2012
Country Artists We’ve Lost in 2012
(Earl Scruggs)As one-half of legendary bluegrass duo Flatt and Scruggs, Earl Scruggs brought the music Bill Monroe popularized to the next generation. The legend invented a three-finger picking style that replaced the traditional claw hammer style most banjo players used. His best known songs are ‘Foggy Mountain Breakdown’ and ‘The Ballad of Jed Clampett,’ but perhaps his greatest contribution is how he spread the bluegrass gospel wherever he went. He was comfortable at the Grand Ole Opry, or playing with legends like Bob Dylan or Elton John. Earl Scruggs died in March at the age of 88.
(Billy Strange)Billy Strange can be heard on great records from Elvis Presley to Willie Nelson and Roy Rogers. He also was instrumental in the careers of Nancy and Frank Sinatra, having started a publishing company for the performers and helping to cut famous tracks like ‘These Boots Are Made for Walking’ and ‘Something Stupid.’ Additionally, Strange had a role in the 1980 Loretta Lynn biopic ‘Coal Miner’s Daughter.’ The multi-talented artist died in February at the age of 81.
(Danny Morrison)Songwriter Danny Morrison died in February after a heart attack sent the 67-year-old to the hospital. His resume of hits is lengthy, including ‘Blaze of Glory’ by Kenny Rogers and ‘Is it Cold in Here’ by Joe Diffie. Additionally, he wrote cuts for Alabama, Lee Greenwood, George Jones, Reba McEntire and Johnny Paycheck. “Danny was a very unique and creative individual,” his friend Tom Long tells Music Row. “He had an inspiring wit, a huge heart, and a love for music and especially songwriters. He carved his own notch in Music Row history.” Morrison is survived by his wife, Sherri West.
(Cois 'Pee Wee' Moultrie)
One of few remaining survivors from Hank Williams‘ playing days died on Jan. 15, 2012. Cois ‘Pee Wee’ Moultrie partnered with Williams when the two were just teenagers. Recently, their recordings of ‘Fan It’ and ‘Alexander’s Ragtime Band’ were uncovered for the ‘Hank Williams: The Legend Begins’ box set. Moultrie only played with Williams for a few years, but even after a stint in the Army he continued to keep playing music recreationally. “He always had a gig on Friday and Saturday nights,” Patti Bayless, his youngest daughter, told the Destin Log. “It was fun even though at the time I was in college and liked rock ‘n’ roll.” Moultrie is survived by his wife, two daughters, five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. He was 89-years-old at the time of his death.
(Charlie Collins)Longtime Roy Acuff band member Charlie Collins died on Jan. 12, 2012, days after suffering a massive stroke. The 78-year-old was playing music up to his final days. The night prior to his stroke, Collins took the stage at the Grand Ole Opry, much like he’d done regularly for 45 years. He played with Acuff from 1966 to 1992 and also performed with Opry acts like Brother Oswald and the Square Dance Band. The Caryville, Tenn. native got his start on stage after joining the Pinnacle Mountain boys following a stint in the Army. His nickname in those days was ‘Peanut the Fiddler.’ “Music and the Opry, that was his life,” his friend and musical collaborator Mike Webb said. “I’m so grateful that he was able to work, right up until the end.”
(Taste of Country: By Billy Dukes)
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Pioneers of Country Music: Dolly Parton Shines at Gold Party in Nashville
Pioneers of Country Music: Dolly Parton Shines at Gold Party in Nashville: Celebrates Success of Latest Project, An Evening With ... Dolly Dolly Parton "Hey everybody! I'm back sellin' something else," quipped an up...
Dolly Parton Shines at Gold Party in Nashville
Celebrates Success of Latest Project, An Evening With ... Dolly
Dolly Parton "Hey everybody! I'm back sellin' something else," quipped an upbeat Dolly Parton as she greeted the swarm of reporters packed tightly inside her Dolly Records studio near downtown Nashville. Friday morning's (Aug. 10) invitation-only event celebrated the success of her latest album offered exclusively at Cracker Barrel stores -- marking the first time one of the restaurant's music releases has been certified gold, marking 50,000 copies sold of the DVD.
Providing guests with breakfast biscuits, hash browns and orange juice, Parton teased the crowd with why she was running a few minutes behind to her own party.
"I was a little late getting here because I had breakfast over there [Cracker Barrel] ... and I've got to run back because I'm going to have lunch," she laughed.
Dressed in her characteristic body-hugging, sparkly jacket with complementary cobalt blue capris, Parton donned her usual sky-high stilettos and big hair as she was presented with a plaque nearly the size of the petite star.
"You never get tired of that," she said of receiving her latest honor. "It makes you feel like every project you do, if somebody recognizes it, then that makes it worthwhile because you know all the time you put in any project that you do. So it makes that very important. You never get too old, too callus, to enjoy the success. And at my age, I'm thrilled to get anything in this business."
In addition to expressing heartfelt gratitude for her latest hardware, soon be displayed in her museum at Dollywood, Parton also fielded questions from reporters regarding her music, an upcoming book and possible future duets with George Jones.
One of the songs featured on An Evening With ... Dolly, is her autobiographical 1971 hit "Coat of Many Colors," a song chosen this year by the Library of Congress as one of 25 selected each year for its cultural, artistic and historical value.
"That was one of the great compliments," she said. "You're always appreciative of everything you get, but there are a few things that really stand out when you get recognized by those people you think are really special, by things that might just really go down in history. It makes me feel real good.
"It makes me proud of my mom and dad that I had the kind of parents and the kind of mother that would allow me to write that song and have reason to do it, so I'm just proud of that whole thing. That was one of those special ones that I think God meant for me to write. It helped other people, too, and it helped me -- not just the money."
Noting that she isn't currently working on any new solo musical projects, Parton did reveal she had heard George Jones was working on an album and expressed interest in recording with him.
"I'm writing some stuff for him, and I'm writing a couple of duets, and I hope I get to sing with him on one of them," she said. "So that's who I'd really like to sing with right now more than anyone else. In my mind, nobody will ever sing better than George -- for emotion and heart and feeling. I love him."
Aside from music, Parton also shared details regarding her upcoming book, Dream More, scheduled for release in November. The pending project, spurred from her commencement speech at the University of Tennessee in 2009, will showcase Parton's wisdom, knowledge and personal stories.
"It turned out to be a very fun, uplifting, positive book, and in the book, it has all sorts of fun things," she said. "It's fun reading, but hopefully it will be uplifting to people. It's not the story of my life, but I certainly cover different parts of it in it."
All of the proceeds from Dream More will benefit her Imagination Library, a program aimed to promote childhood literacy. Started in her native East Tennessee, the program now spreads across the country and internationally in providing registered children with a free book each month from birth until 5 years old.
"It makes me feel good to all the little kids," Parton explained. "They don't know I sing. They don't know I write. They don't know nothing about me except that I'm the book lady. Everywhere I go they say, 'Thanks for the books. Thanks for the books.' It makes me feel great."
At the moment, Parton says she's enjoying spending her summer and free time with family members she doesn't get to see regularly. And though she's always writing and forever making music, Parton said she's in no hurry to make final touches on any unfinished projects.
"I'm enjoying just laying back a little bit," she said. "I'm still writing on my life story as a musical, so I just kind of do that when I feel like it, taking my time. "No pressure," she smiled. "I'll get it done sooner or later."
(CMT)
Dolly Parton "Hey everybody! I'm back sellin' something else," quipped an upbeat Dolly Parton as she greeted the swarm of reporters packed tightly inside her Dolly Records studio near downtown Nashville. Friday morning's (Aug. 10) invitation-only event celebrated the success of her latest album offered exclusively at Cracker Barrel stores -- marking the first time one of the restaurant's music releases has been certified gold, marking 50,000 copies sold of the DVD.
Providing guests with breakfast biscuits, hash browns and orange juice, Parton teased the crowd with why she was running a few minutes behind to her own party.
"I was a little late getting here because I had breakfast over there [Cracker Barrel] ... and I've got to run back because I'm going to have lunch," she laughed.
Dressed in her characteristic body-hugging, sparkly jacket with complementary cobalt blue capris, Parton donned her usual sky-high stilettos and big hair as she was presented with a plaque nearly the size of the petite star."You never get tired of that," she said of receiving her latest honor. "It makes you feel like every project you do, if somebody recognizes it, then that makes it worthwhile because you know all the time you put in any project that you do. So it makes that very important. You never get too old, too callus, to enjoy the success. And at my age, I'm thrilled to get anything in this business."
In addition to expressing heartfelt gratitude for her latest hardware, soon be displayed in her museum at Dollywood, Parton also fielded questions from reporters regarding her music, an upcoming book and possible future duets with George Jones.
One of the songs featured on An Evening With ... Dolly, is her autobiographical 1971 hit "Coat of Many Colors," a song chosen this year by the Library of Congress as one of 25 selected each year for its cultural, artistic and historical value.
"That was one of the great compliments," she said. "You're always appreciative of everything you get, but there are a few things that really stand out when you get recognized by those people you think are really special, by things that might just really go down in history. It makes me feel real good.
"It makes me proud of my mom and dad that I had the kind of parents and the kind of mother that would allow me to write that song and have reason to do it, so I'm just proud of that whole thing. That was one of those special ones that I think God meant for me to write. It helped other people, too, and it helped me -- not just the money."
Noting that she isn't currently working on any new solo musical projects, Parton did reveal she had heard George Jones was working on an album and expressed interest in recording with him.
"I'm writing some stuff for him, and I'm writing a couple of duets, and I hope I get to sing with him on one of them," she said. "So that's who I'd really like to sing with right now more than anyone else. In my mind, nobody will ever sing better than George -- for emotion and heart and feeling. I love him."
Aside from music, Parton also shared details regarding her upcoming book, Dream More, scheduled for release in November. The pending project, spurred from her commencement speech at the University of Tennessee in 2009, will showcase Parton's wisdom, knowledge and personal stories.
"It turned out to be a very fun, uplifting, positive book, and in the book, it has all sorts of fun things," she said. "It's fun reading, but hopefully it will be uplifting to people. It's not the story of my life, but I certainly cover different parts of it in it."
All of the proceeds from Dream More will benefit her Imagination Library, a program aimed to promote childhood literacy. Started in her native East Tennessee, the program now spreads across the country and internationally in providing registered children with a free book each month from birth until 5 years old.
"It makes me feel good to all the little kids," Parton explained. "They don't know I sing. They don't know I write. They don't know nothing about me except that I'm the book lady. Everywhere I go they say, 'Thanks for the books. Thanks for the books.' It makes me feel great."
At the moment, Parton says she's enjoying spending her summer and free time with family members she doesn't get to see regularly. And though she's always writing and forever making music, Parton said she's in no hurry to make final touches on any unfinished projects.
"I'm enjoying just laying back a little bit," she said. "I'm still writing on my life story as a musical, so I just kind of do that when I feel like it, taking my time. "No pressure," she smiled. "I'll get it done sooner or later."
(CMT)
Friday, August 17, 2012
Who's House Is This?
This country superstar designed and oversaw construction of this beautiful Georgia lakehouse. It has five bedrooms and five-and-a-half bathrooms inside 5,600 square-feet. There are three guest suites that overlook the lake and a private beach and waterfall if you don’t feel like using the exercise studio or swimming pool.
The house was up for auction in June 2012, coming fully furnished with a pontoon boat, SeaDoo and other recreational toys/vehicles. This singer may be a little long in years, but he certainly knows how to stay active. At auction prices, the home is no gamble to whoever puts down the money to buy it. He was asking $3.5 million in January 2012.
Answer:
Kenny Rogers‘ Athens, Ga. home was up for auction in June 2012, as the singer hoped to reclaim some of the nearly $3.5 million he originally listed it for five months earlier. From a distance, the 5,600 sq. foot house looks like a sprawling country club clubhouse. It comes with all the furnishings you can see pictured at his auction website (kennyrogersauction.com), as well as a private beach and waterfall, pool, pontoon and exercise studio.
The house was built and designed by Rogers in 2009. It sits on 150 acres and is 10 minutes from Athens, Ga.
*Update: This house sold for $2.25 million.
(Taste of Country.com)
The Nashville Music Garden Dedication
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Dwight Yoakam Performs ‘Nothing But Love’ on ‘The Tonight Show’
Yoakam looked the part of pure country with his signature cowboy hat tucked low over his brow, his denim jacket and his skin-tight jeans, which admittedly make us wonder how he ever gets them on and off. As he played, Yoakam strummed away on his vintage guitar and swiveled his hips and legs along to the beat of ‘Nothing But Love,’ impressing viewers.
Look for Yoakam’s ’3 Pears’ album to hit stores on Sept. 18. The week following its release, the classic singer will be honored by the Academy of Country Music with the Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award at the 6th Annual ACM Honors event, to be held on Sept. 24 in Nashville. The prestigious award honors individuals who are pioneers in the country music genre. Past recipients include Johnny Cash, Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Hank Williams, Sr. and Hank Williams, Jr.
(Taste of Country)
Late singer Patsy Cline is set to be honoured with a special exhibition at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee.
The I Fall to Pieces hitmaker was killed in a horrific plane crash, which left three others dead, in March, 1963, and now her life and legacy will live on at the landmark's East Gallery with a display called Patsy Cline: Crazy for Loving You.
The collection will open on 24 August (12) and run through 2013.
Museum director Kyle Young says, "Patsy Cline is an American music icon and perhaps the most accessible artist in country music history. Though she recorded for only eight years and made her last record nearly 50 years ago, her body of work - those classic torch songs and ballads of heartache - have continued to resonate with music fans of all genres.
"Though her life was tragically cut short her classic recordings are timeless, alive and vibrant. Our exhibit will not only explore Patsy's musical contributions, but will also offer visitors a look at the woman behind the songs, the firecracker who overcame childhood hardships to emerge as one of the most important artists of the 20th century."
Cline was posthumously inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame a decade after her death (73).
(ContactMusic.com)
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