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Obituaries

WILLIE’S MANAGER DIES
Randall "Poodie" Locke, Willie Nelson's long-time road manager, died on May 6th 2009 following a heart attack. He was 56 and had worked with Willie since 1974 He was described by Nelson biographer, Joe Nick Patoski, as "the heart and soul of the road crew."

Vern Gosdin
The "Voice of Country Music" Vern Gosdin passed away 29 April (2009) in Nashville. Tennessee.  He had suffered a stroke a few weeks before.

DAN SEALS HAS DIED
Dan Seals died yesterday (25th March) following a battle with cancer. The singer shot to fame as one half of the duo England Dan and John Ford Coley. They had several hits including "I'd Really Love To See You Tonight" which was their biggest success in the UK, but it was as a solo artist that he stormed to the top of the country music charts with songs like "Bop", "Addicted", "Everything That Glitters" and "You Still Move Me" for EMI Capitol/Liberty.  He was one of the gentle giants of country music. Very soft spoken and very willing to give people the time of day, and his short tour of the UK to support the "Rage On" album will be fondly remembered. He was the younger brother of Jim Seals (of Seals & Crofts fame). One of his biggest successes was his duet single with Marie Osmond, "Meet Me In Montana". In the last year he was going through radiation treatments for lymphoma in Nashville and Houston.

Sidney Chaplin
Sidney Chaplin, second son of actor Charlie Chaplin died on 5th March at the age of 82.

TOM BRUMLEY
Tom Brumley, one-time steel guitarist with Buck Owens' Buckaroos, died on February 4th in San Antonio, Texas. He was 73.
The son of gospel songwriter Albert E. Brumley, who wrote "I'll Fly Away," he was an important member of the Buckaroos during the '60s, playing on such No. 1 hits as "Act Naturally", “Together Again” and "I've Got a Tiger by the Tail." He later went on to join Rick Nelson's Stone Canyon Band and was featured on Nelson’s 1972 hit, "Garden Party." More recently, he spent 15 years in his own music show in Branson, Missouri.
Drummer Willie Cantu is now the only surviving member of the classic line-up of the Buckaroos.

Ernie Ashworth Passed
Ernie had been suffering ill-health for some time and had bypass surgery in Jan this year. I spoke with him on the phone at the beginning of February when he told me that he was recovering slowly and taking short walk from him home in Hartsville, Tennessee. Sadly Ernie passed away on Monday 2 March 2009. He was 80 years of age.

Hank Locklin
 Hank Locklin has passed away at the age of 91. The Florida-born singer's biggest hits were "Please Help Me I'm Falling" (a number one for 14 weeks on the Billboard country chart) and "Send Me The Pillow That You Dream On", the latter coming from his pen. He was one of those singers whose style was associated with The Nashville Sound. He recorded his high profile songs in the 50s, 60s and 70s on RCA Records.

Jerry Reed Died
Jerry Red of Smokey and The Bandits fame, passed away on Monday 1st September (2008) due to complications from emphysema at 71years of age. Next to Chet Atkins he may have been the greatest guitarist in Guitar City.

Don Helms
The last surviving member of Hank Williams' Original Drifting Cowboys, Don Helms, died 11th August (2008) at the age of 81 from pneumonia two weeks after he was in hospital for a triple heart bypass operation. He was married for 62 years to wife Hazel.

Reg Lindsay
Australian singing legend Reg Lindsay died 5th August (2008) at the age of 79 following a bout of pneumonia. Reg was right up there with the likes of Slim Dusty as one of Australia's best loved entertainers - indeed he married the sister of Slim's wife. He was one of the first Australians to appear at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.

Nashville Brass Leader
George Nowlan, better known as Danny Davis -- leader of the Nashville Brass -- died of cardiac arrest at 5:40pm June 12th at St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville.

Jordanaires
Hugh Jarrett, a member of Elvis Presley's  backup group, The Jordanaires,  passed away Saturday June 1 (2008), at the age of 78, of complications from a car accident he was in back in March. Jarrett sang bass with the Jordanaires from 1954 until 1958, and is featured on a number of Presley hits including "Hound Dog," "Don't Be Cruel," "Love Me Tender," "All Shook Up," "Jailhouse Rock," and "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You."

Howard Staub
The Western Music Association is very sorry to inform you of the loss of one of our own Board of Directors, Howard Staub.  He died Wednesday, May 7th, after a very difficult battle with cancer. 

Eddie Arnold Died
Country Music today lost one of the industry's giants.  Eddy Arnold, a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, died around 4:40 a.m. 5th May 2008 at NHC Place in Cool Springs at the age of 89.  He has been suffering with cancer and was known as the affable Tennessee Plowboy who brought elegance, sophistication and millions of fans to country music. Eddie Arnold sold more than 85 million records and had 37 hits in the pop charts as well as a bunch of country songs which became classics.

Eddy Arnold's wife dies in  hospital
 Sally Gayhart Arnold, the woman who gave meaning to husband Eddy Arnold's love songs, died Tuesday 18 March in a Williamson County hospital. She was 87.
  For more than 66 years, the couple had one of the greatest romances in the history of country music. The news of Mrs. Arnold's death came late Tuesday afternoon as her country music legend husband, now 89, remained in a Davidson County hospital after undergoing hip replacement surgery last week.
 Married on Nov. 28, 1941, the couple's relationship to friends and family epitomised commitment, devotion and teamwork.

Guitarist Barry "Byrd" Burton Dead At 61
Guitarist Barry "Byrd" Burton of the Amazing Rhythm Aces died Monday March 10 at a Nashville hospital after a long battle with leukaemia. He was 61. He toured with Dolly Parton, Brooks and Dunn and Dan Fogelberg.

Bobby Lord
 Seventy four year old  Bobby Lord died  February 16th in Stuart, Florida after a lengthy illness.  Lord was a member of the Ozark Jubilee before joining the Grand Ole Opry in 1960 and remained a regular until 1975. During the late 1980s, he hosted the Celebrity Outdoors series on TNN: The Nashville Network. Lord recorded for the Columbia, Hickory and Decca Records.

Western Swing Ace Passed

Frankie McWhorter passed away this morning in his sleep (2 Feb 2008).  He was 76.  Frankie retired a couple months ago from regular appearances with Don and Angie House's Thomas Country Opry up in OK. 

 

Jack D. Johnson, 79,

The brash and colourful manager of Charley Pride, Ronnie Milsap, T.G. Sheppard and others, died Thursday morning in Nashville after battling congestive heart failure.
  Jack D. Johnson confronted segregation and presumption in helping Pride to become the first African-American singing superstar in country music.
 Ronnie Milsap signed with Mr. Johnson in 1973, and he soon became a major star. In 1975, Mr. Johnson won the CMA's Producer of the Year award for his co-production of Milsap's records.

 

Jim Nesbitt has passed away

Comedian & Songwriter Jim Nesbitt has passed away.  He was the writer of "Running Bear" recorded by Sonny James.  He also was noted for opening shows for Sonny James, Marty Robbins & Dottie West.
He had several recordings on the Chart Record Label.

 

John Hughey,
Steel guitar player for Conway Twitty and Vince Gill died November 18th in Nashville at the age of 73.  Hughey toured and recorded with Twitty for many years, and worked with Loretta Lynn for nearly two years before joining  Vince Gill's band, where he remained for 12 seasons. He was inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in 1996.  Hughey's work was also featured in movies, television series and specials, commercials and music videos.

 

Bettye Ashworth
After a long fight with lung cancer, Bettye wife of Grand Ole Opry Star Ernie Ashworth's passed away saturday morning 3 Nov

Robert Goulet.
Robert Goulet remembered for his magnificent voice and his role in Camelot, died 1st Nov awaiting a lung transplant.

Porter Wagoner died
Porter Wagoner, an Opry member since 1957 and Country Music Hall of Famer died at age 80 tonight (28 Oct 2007), as dignitaries and stars gathered at the Country Music Hall of Fame to induct its three newest members. Mr. Wagoner was admitted to the hospital on Monday, Oct. 15 and had been under doctors’ care since then. Porter. Wagoner was released to hospice care on Friday, days after the announcement of a lung cancer diagnosis.

Lee Hazlewood died
Lee Hazlewood, best known for writing and producing "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" for Nancy Sinatra, has died. He was 78.
  Barton Lee Hazlewood died at his home in Henderson of kidney cancer on Saturday evening. Hazlewood was most famous for his work with the daughter of Frank Sinatra, including writing and producing hits including "Sugartown". He also produced "Something Stupid," a duet Nancy recorded with
her father in 1967.

Boots Randolph
 Saxophone player Boots Randolph passed away after suffering a subdural hematoma . The man who appeared on the 1963 hit "Yaketty Sax" (The Benny Hill theme) is 80 years old. If any country act wanted sax on their music Boots was the man they called. His playing has been heard on hundreds of hits and even Elvis Presley had him on his records. He was a regular performer in Nashville up until the 1990s. He has just had his latest CD released, a 14-track jazz instrumental album.

Glenn Sutton
One of the country musics' most prolific songwriters, Glenn Sutton has died of a heart attack on 17 April 2007. Glenn was married to Lynn Anderson and Produced "Rose Garden" and wrote many, many super hit songs. Joe South Wrote "Rose Garden".

Frankie Laine Died Age 93
The wonderful Frankie Laine has died at the age of 93. Frankie was best
known for hits like "Rawhide" and "I Believe" and although he crossed over
to the mainstream he was played a lot on country radio with many cowboy
songs to his credit, including "Cool Water" and "Don't Fence Me In".

Tom Morrell 
Tommy Morrell passed away on 30 January 2007 of emphysema at home in East Dallas. He was 68. .  For over 50 years this touring sideman and session player delivered western swing, jazz and country with artful skill on motion picture sound tracks and on the recordings of innumerable artists, including Bob Wills' Texas Playboys.  Later as a bandleader, he arranged and produced dozens of albums. During the 1990s he proved to be a major force in the resurgence of non-pedal steel through touring, arranging and recording besides his brands of Morrell and the Morrell-shields steels. He was one of the founders and designers of MSA pedal guitars.

"Sneaky" Pete Kleinow
Legendary pedal steel guitarist, "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow, passed away on Saturday, January 6, according to Paige Cofrin, President of Luna Chica Records, and Brenda Cline, of NashRock Entertainment, Kleinow's former record label head, and manager, respectively. Kleinow's death was apparently due to complications from Alzheimer's. He was diagnosed with the disease in 2006, and had been living in a convalescent home in Petaluma, California, for the past few months.

Doyle Holly 
Died January 13th after along battle with cancer. He was a member of Buck Owens’ Buckaroos from 1963-1970. He also placed seven songs on the country charts from 1972 -1974.

Del Reeves
Veteran country music entertainer Del Reeves, best known for his edgy, Bakersfield-fuelled hits Looking at the World Through A Windshield, The Girl on the Billboard and Goodtime Charlie’s passed away on January 1 in his Centerville, Tennessee home after lengthy battles with emphysema and other ailment

Dennis Linde
  Dennis Linde (pronounced LIN-dee) Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer and former BMI Songwriter of the Year died aged 63 on 22 Dec 2006 of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. A brilliant songwriter with a quick wit and fast mind who artfully blended quirky, original lyrics with up-tempo melodies. 
   He emerged on the songwriting scene in 1970 after Roger Miller released his song, "Tom Green County Fair," and Roy Drusky cut "Long Long Texas Road." Two years later, Presley recorded "Burning Love." "He was the quintessential mystery man of Nashville because he didn't go to all the functions," said Scott Siman, an artist manager who had known Mr. Linde since the 1970s. "It wasn't like he was seen up and down Music Row. He had his own way of writing and conducting himself. If you ever saw Dennis Linde it was amazing, because you didn't get that opportunity very often."

Buddy Killen
Music publisher, songwriter, record producer and musician "Buddy" Killen
became one of the most influential figures in the Nashvill entertainment business, died at the age of 73. He was recently
diagnosed with liver and pancreatic cancer.  

Freddy Fender
Country music icon Freddy Fender died at the age of 69 on 15 October after a long fight with cancer.
  The funeral takes place at San Benito City Cemetery on 18 Oct.

Josh Graves
Dobro player Josh Graves died 30 September at age 81.

Don Walser
Texas country singer Don Walser died on September 20th 2006, following a long illness from.  He was 72 and retired from the music business in 2003 after being diagnosed with neuropathy, a disease of the nervous system in 2001.

Johnny Duncan
Country music singer Johnny Duncan, known for songs like "She Can Put Her Shoes Under My Bed Anytime" and "It Couldn't Have Been Any Better," has died. He was 67.
Duncan died 14 Aug of a heart attack at a Fort Worth hospital.

Obituaries

Billy Walker and wife killed 
Veteran Grand Ole Opry star Billy Walker, whose hits included "Charlie's Shoes" and "Cross the Brazos at Waco," died in a car wreck on Sunday May 21. He was 77. Walker was killed along with his wife Bettie, 61 and two of his band members Charles Lilly Jr. and Daniel Patton Sr. when a van they were riding in ran off Interstate 65 south of Montgomery, Alabama and overturned. Walker's grandson, Joshua Brooks, 21 was critically injured in the accident. The group was on their way back to the Nashville area after performing at a show near Gulf Shores.

Bonnie Owens Died 76-year-old singer/songwriter Bonnie Owens passed away on 24 April from complications of Alzheimers. Her first marriage was to Buck Owens when he was an orange picker and part-time entertainer.
    Reports from Bakersfield say that her Alzheimers was advanced to the point that she wasn't aware of Buck Owens' death. A spokesman said she will be cremated and her ashes laid next to Buck Owens in the family mausoleum.

Buck Owens Passes
Legendary country singer Buck Owens passed away on March 25. He was 76. One of the main proponents of the Bakersfield Sound, in the early 1960s he spearheaded a new honky-tonk country styling that utilised a heavy backbeat with electric lead guitar, pedal steel, drums and bass and occasional use of fiddle. His impact was so great that he crossed over to the pop charts and was a huge influence on the Beatles (who covered his Act Naturally hit), Gram Parsons, the Byrds, Emmylou Harris and numerous others. Among his many hits are such classics as Together Again, I’ve Got A Tiger By the Tail, Love’s Gonna Live Here, My Heart Skips A Beat, and Streets of Bakersfield the latter a duet hit with Dwight Yoakam.

Cindy Walker the legendary Central Texas country music songwriter whose work is featured on a CD released this week by Willie Nelson, has died at the age of 87. The prolific songwriter died Thursday night March 23 at Parkview Regional Hospital in Mexia.
   During her sixty-plus years as a songwriter, Cindy wrote such classics as In the Misty Moonlight, Distant Drums, Dream Baby, Cherokee Maiden, When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again, Blue Canadian Rockies, China Doll, You Don’t Know Me, Warm, Red Wine and dozens more.

Terry Hadfield, lead singer and frontman for many years with the British country band Stroller died on Sunday 29th Jan 2006.  "Terry's Last Gig" was well attended and took place at Uppermill church (near Oldham) on Monday 20th Feb. Several musicians paid tribute to Terry in song, giving him a truly fitting send-off.  Terry may be gone, but he will not be forgotten!!!

Louise Scruggs, 78, wife and manager of banjo legend Earl Scruggs;  February 2nd in Nashville from respiratory disease.

Wilson Pickett, 64, member of The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame; January 19th near Reston, VA from a heart attack.

Bob Weinstock, 77, producer who recorded Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Stan Getz, the Modern Jazz Quartet and other jazz artists for his Prestige label; January 21st in Boca Raton, FL from complications of diabetes.

Janette Carter, the last surviving child of members of the original Carter Family, died 22 January 2006 at Holston Valley Medical Center in Kingsport, Tennessee.  She was 82 and had several chronic illnesses, including Parkinson's disease. Ms. Carter's parents, A.P. and Sara Carter, joined with Maybelle Carter to comprise what is now known as "The First Family of Country Music."

Wife Of Carl Perkins Has Died
Friends are remembering Val Perkins as the woman the late singer-songwriter Carl Perkins couldn’t live without. She died at the age of 74. Perkins sister, Martha Bain, says Val’s death was a shock. Bain says she’s the one who got the couple together in high school, double dating with George Bain, who was to become her husband. Carl Perkins died in 1998. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer is best known for his 1950’s hit Blue Suede Shoes. He also wrote the Johnny Cash-June Carter smash, Jackson.

Wilson ‘Lit’ Waters Jr. of Fairfield Four dies
Wilson "Lit" Waters Jr., an integral member of Grammy-winning gospel vocal group the Fairfield Four, died Thursday Nov 24 at his home in Nashville. He was 74 and had been diagnosed with cancer.

Mike Storey
The British Country Music Association (BCMA) is saddened to announce the death of one of its founding members, Mike Storey. He died in his sleep, November 26, and had been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease earlier in the year.
  In the early 1970s Mike Storey launched the Mike & Margaret Storey Entertainment Agency with his first wife Margaret (who died in 1999).
  A one time librarian at BBC Radio Leeds, Storey co-presented, with Goff Greenwood, a weekly country music programme on the station as well as running the highly successful Wakefield Country Music Club during the 1970s.
  Mike Storey, who was 68 years old years, is survived by his second wife Jean, and children Catherine and James.

Baker Knight dies at age 72....Stars ranging from Elvis Presley to Ricky Nelson, Paul McCartney, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin recorded his hits. From the 1950s to the 1970s, Knight wrote almost 1,000 songs. More than 40 singers recorded his tunes, which include the 1970 Presley hit The Wonder of You and Martin's Somewhere There's a Someone and That Old Time Feelin'. Nelson and McCartney sang the same Knight hit, Lonesome Town, decades apart. Perry Como, Jerry Lee Lewis, Sammy Davis Jr. and Mickey Gilley also recorded some of Knight's songs.

Rufus Thibodeaux. The name "Thibodeaux" is engraved permanently in the history of Cajun music thanks to the song "Thibodeaux & His Cajun Band". Rufus Thibodeaux was a fiddle player in Jimmy C Newman's band and died aged 71 recently. Jimmy C Newman believed he was the greatest Cajun fiddler of all time. He worked with Neil Young, Bob Wills and Porter Wagoner in his varied career.

Hal Rugg, Country Music Hall of Fame Steel Guitarist  passed away 10 August 2005 following a long illness of cancer.
  "Hal was one of the greatest steel guitar players of all time, but most of all, he was a true gentlemen, a great person, and a friend to all," said friend and country music promoter Marty Martel. "I knew Hal for many years. He played on several of my recording sessions. His fellow steel guitar friends are in a state of sorrow and shock, although most of us knew that Hal would be taken soon. He will be brought back to Nashville to be buried."

Eddie Shuler died in Lake Charles, Louisiana, at 92 year old.  He released 13 year old Dolly Parton’s first single ,”Puppy Love,” on his Goldband Record label in 1959.

Long John Baldry, 64, bluesman; July 21st in Vancouver, British Columbia from complications of a chest infection.

Blue Barron, 91, big-band orchestra leader; July 16th in Baltimore.

Peggy Bradley, 62, president of Bradley Music Management; July 15th at Nashville's Vanderbilt University Hospital.

Myron Floren ("The Happy Norwegian"), 85, featured accordion player on The Lawrence Welk Show;  July 23rd in Rolling Hills Estates, CA from cancer.

John Herald, 65, songwriter ("Stewball" and "High Muddy Water"), session musician and lead singer for the Greenbriar Boys;  July 18th in West Hurley, NY from an apparent suicide.

Tracy Jones, 49, long-time Nashville booking agent; July 15th after a long battle with cancer.

Eugene Record, 64, songwriter ("Oh Girl") and founder of the Chi-Lites; July 22nd from cancer.

Billy Bauer, 89, jazz guitarist who played in groups led by Woody Herman, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, and Jack Teagarden; June 17th from complications of pneumonia.


Big Al Downing, 65, member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame; July 4th in Massachusetts from complications of leukaemia.

Johnny Cash's First Wife Died

It is with deep sadness that we bear the news of the passing of Johnny Cash's first wife and Rosanne's mom, Vivian Liberto Cash Distin on May 24, 2005.

 

Keith Manifold Passed Away

It is with regret we hear of the death of country performer Keith Manifold who suffered a heart attack on 22nd May at a festival in Suffolk .  Derbyshire based Keith has been a stalwart of the British country music scene for about 30 years as singer/guitarist.  In recent years he ran a booking agency for country artists.   
He will be much missed by fans and artists alike.  His death closes a chapter in British Country Music.

Jimmy Martin Passes

Jimmy Martin, the brash fireball whose electrifying stage presence and soaring vocals made him one of bluegrass music's most consequential and colourful artists, died on the morning of May 14, at a Nashville hospice from complications of bladder cancer. He was 77. Known as ''The King of Bluegrass'' and ''Mr. Good'n Country,'' Martin became known as a master of American roots music. In 1949, Mr. Martin successfully auditioned for Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys and his vocal contributions ushered in what is now known in bluegrass as the ''high, lonesome sound.''

 

Obituaries

 

Chris Loses Battle With Cancer

 

Country singer and former rodeo star Chris LeDoux died March 9, in Casper, Wyoming following a lengthy battle with liver ailments. He was admitted to Wyoming Medical Center in Casper on the Monday after experiencing complications from cancer.

  Chris LeDoux will be inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colorado on July 16. LeDoux was the 1976 world bareback riding champion and will be inducted in two categories – bareback and notables. The notable category recognizes his contributions to the sport through his music. Chris is one of six cowboys named to the ProRodeo Hall of Fame this year.

 

Steel Guitarist Dies

 

Jerry Byrd, one of the most influential steel guitar players in American music history, died Monday morning at Kaiser Hospital in Honolulu. He was 85 years old and had been suffering from Parkinson's disease.

 

Kathy Kay Passed Away

 

Kathy Kay died on 9 March in a nursing home in Largs on the west coast of Scotland. British radio listeners from the 1950's will fondly remember Kathy as a singer with the Billy Cotton Band show, broadcast on Sunday afternoons.

  Kathy was 86 and had been suffering from Alzheimer's for the past 15 years

 

Joe Carter Died

 

Joe Carter, a member of the famous Carter Family, died of cancer March 2 at his home. He was 78.
  Carter was a cornerstone of the preservation of old-time mountain music and helped build the Carter Family Fold in Hiltons, Va., which presented shows of country and bluegrass music every weekend.

  Joe Carter, who performed at the Carter Family Fold, was the last direct connection to anyone who was at that original session, said his friend Tim White.

  Joe Carter is survived by three daughters and seven grandchildren.

 

Pete Sayers Passes

Sammi Smith Passed Away

 

Sad to report that Jewel Fay "Sammi" Smith died in an Oklahoma City hospital on Saturday February 12.  She was 61 years old and has been ill for some time.             Funeral services Wednesday, February 16.

Smith won a Grammy in 1971 for her rendition of Kris Kristofferson's Help Me Make It Through The Night. The song was also named Single of the Year by the CMA that year.


Drifting Cowboy Passes

Dean McNett, brother of Bob McNett, an original member of the Drifting Cowboy Band, died peacefully in his sleep, at age 77, on Saturday February12.
  Dean played with the Drifting Cowboys after Hank's death and was a long time member of Doc & Chickie Williams' show on WWVA, Wheeling West Virginia.

Mr Tambourine Man Dies

 

Hit producer Terry Melcher has died aged 62.  The son of Doris Day, he co-wrote "Kokomo" with the Beach Boys and produced "Mr Tambourine Man" (#1 on the charts June 1965) and "Turn, Turn,Turn" (#26 Nov 65) for the Byrds.  Melcher died on Friday 19 November 2004 at his home in Beverly Hills, California after a long battle with skin cancer.  He also produced the Doris Day Show for his mother and wrote some of her songs.

 

Roy Drusky Passes Away

Country singer and songwriter Roy Drusky, who had several hits in the 1960s, penned hits for others, appeared at the Wembley Country Music Festival and toured the UK successfully in the 1970s and 1980s, died on Thursday after a lengthy illness. He was 74. A member of the Grand Ole Opry for 45 years, he was a crooner with a smooth, mellow baritone. Amongst his best-known hits are Another, Anymore, Three Hearts in A Tangle, Second Hand Rose, If the Whole World Stopped Lovin’ (covered in the UK by Val Doonican), the novelty song Peel Me a Nanner and his only No. 1 Yes Mr. Peters, a duet with Priscilla Mitchell (Mrs Jerry Reed) in 1965. He was also one of the first to record a Kris Kristofferson song, with an impeccable rendition of Jody & The Kid in 1967, plus later hits Such A Fool, Long, Long Texas Road, All My Heard Times and a great country version of Elton John’s Dixie Lily.

 

Ray Price Hospitalised

Country legend Ray Price was recently hospitalized for surgery. During the
last 3 months Ray was losing weight and doctors thought he was suffering
from exhaustion. On Monday, June 22, 2009, Ray was admitted to the hospital
for routine medical tests. The results of a colonoscopy revealed a large
number of polyps in Pre cancerous stage - requiring immediate surgical
removal.
  Surgery was completed on Tuesday, June 23rd and doctors state the operation
was a complete success.
  Today, Ray's wife Janie who has been by his side throughout the process,
reports that Ray is making a slow, steady recovery with family and friends
around him.
  Ray is alert and wishes to thank everyone across the country who have held
him and Janie up in their prayers and to let you all know he will be back on
the road in a few weeks. Thank you for all of the love, prayers and
consideration.

Ph.D FOR DOLLY

On May 8th, Ms. Parton acquired the right to be addressed as Dr. Parton, after receiving an honorary doctorate of humane and musical letters from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, where an audience of new graduates from the College of Arts and Sciences gave Dolly, who was dressed in a form-fitting academic gown, a standing ovation.

BRITISH COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS

The British Country Music Awards Ceremony to be held at Fort San Antone has changed dates to 18th, 19th & 20th September 2009. Tim McKay Band, Katie Rhodes and Railroad Hobos have so far been confirmed with more to follow. The venue is situated at Great Birchwood, Lytham Road, Warton, Preston PR4 1TE (Tel: 01772 633162
Email: information@fort-san-antone.com

HOW WEIRD CAN YOU GET?

Remember J.P. "Big Bopper" Richardson, who died along with Buddy Holly and Richie Valens on February 1959 in a fateful plane crash? Well, It appears his coffin was exhumed last year so it could be moved to a more visible location with a statue and historical marker.  With the family's blessing, the disinterment also offered forensic experts an opportunity to examine the singer's remains.  So Jay Richardson (Big Bopper’s son) apparently plans to sell the empty coffin on eBay to raise money "for a musical show about his father and to keep the Bopper's memory alive."

HALL OF FAME FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has started a  fundraising campaign to defray costs to retain ownership of historic musical instruments once owned by the late Bill Monroe, Maybelle Carter and Johnny Cash. The museum recently reached a $750,000 settlement with the estate of the Robert W. McLean, a Tennessee-based businessman and philanthropist who committed suicide in 2007 after entering into involuntary bankruptcy. McLean, who operated a business that handled investments for individuals, was later accused of running a scheme that defrauded investors of more than $67 million. With McLean's philanthropic support, the not-for-profit Hall Of Fame museum entered into agreements to buy two of popular music's most significant instruments -- Bill Monroe's Gibson F-5 Loar mandolin and Maybelle Carter's Gibson L-5 guitar. McLean also donated two Martin guitars that been owned by Cash. Since McLean's death, the museum has continued to honour the purchase agreements he had pledged to fund. Contributions may be made by phoning (615) 416-2050.

George Jones Gets His Guitar Back

On Saturday June 14th, George Jones and his 1957 Martin 000-18 acoustic guitar were reunited after 46 years of separation. 
   In 1962, Jones and the guitar parted ways… but not on mutual terms.  The guitar was stolen, by two boys looking to sell it for "beer money," from Jones while he performed a series of shows at Panther Hall in Ft. Worth, Texas.  A short time after stealing the guitar from Jones, the two youngsters sold it to a man by the name of Larry Berry.  The guitar, equipped with a strap that includes Jones’ name bordered with streaks of “White Lightning,” was sold to Berry for ten dollars.  Now, almost 50 years later, the guitar will be returned to its rightful owner.
   Berry returned the guitar to George Jones during his concert at Diamond Jacks Casino in Bossier City, Louisiana on June 14th… but with one condition… in exchange for the guitar, Berry wanted his ten dollars back.

Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton is strongly considering a lawsuit against American comedian and DJ Howard Stern, the infamous "shock jock", after his production team had used her speaking voice and manipulated it to give an impression that she was saying very offensive things. Dolly has been reported as saying that she has never been so shocked in her life and felt totally humiliated by the whole sorry episode.

Sam Bush:
Now A Commonwealth-Certified Founder of Newgrass

The state of Kentucky has honoured Sam Bush for his contributions to New Grass music. He was honoured with a resolution earlier this week in the Kentucky Senate. Bush performed two songs on the senate floor in Frankfort. He was recognised for his contributions as an in-demand studio musician, and for being an integral member of the influential bands Bluegrass Alliance and New Grass Revival

Carrie Underwood joins
the Grand Ole Opry

Carrie Underwood will become the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry after she was invited Saturday to join the long-running country music show.
Randy Travis extended the invitation as Underwood finished "I Told You So," a Travis song that Underwood recorded on her latest album.
Her official induction will be May 10.
The former "American Idol" winner sold 7 million copies of her debut album SOME HEARTS and shot to super-stardom almost overnight with hits including "Before He Cheats" and "Jesus, Take the Wheel."
Her follow-up album, CARNIVAL RIDE came out last fall and has produced two No. 1s: "So Small" and her current single "All-American Girl."
Underwood said backstage that the invitation was a complete surprise. "I felt like I just won something amazing all over again," she said. "The Opry has meant so much to me growing up, seeing people perform and wanting to do that."

Britain's Southern Country Magazine editor died

It is with great sadness that we announce the death after a long fight with cancer of Sue McCarthy, the editor of Britain's "Southern Country" magazine which she has run for around 30 years. That in itself is a remarkable achievement for a lady who has done so much for country music. Her recent induction into the British Country Music Hall Of Fame will serve as a lasting reminder of someone who devoted so much to the British Country Music scene.

Stephen Stills


Singer-songwriter Stephen Stills (Crosby, Stills & Nash) has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, according to bandmate Graham Nash.  Nash told TV talk show host Larry King in a telephone interview last month that Stills underwent an operation on Jan. 3rd, which also happens to be his 63rd birthday.  The news came a day after Dan Fogelberg's death, three years after Dan was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer.  Upon learning that he had the disease, Fogelberg urged men over 50 to get tested.  Nash said an early diagnosis of the disease had potentially saved Still's life. 

 

Earl Scruggs Award

Earl Scruggs will receive a GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award,  for his part as an influential creator who has crafted or contributed to some of the most distinctive recordings in music history. Earl is recognized as a musician who revolutionized and popularized the banjo, developing what is known as the “Scruggs Style Picking.”

Hall Of Fame Inductees

Vince Gill, Mel Tillis and Ralph Emery will be officially inducted during a ceremony at the Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville in October. Vince Gill is an 18-time Grammy-winner and has sold more than 22-million albums. 

Elvis’ Palm Springs Home

Reno Fontana recently purchased Presley’s Palm Springs home and wants to turn it  into  a tourist attraction. The Spanish-style white stucco home has five bedrooms and seven bathrooms.  Elvis and Priscilla Presley bought the home in April 1970. The family, including daughter Lisa Marie, lived there part-time.After his death, Presley's lawyer took control of the estate.  Fontana, a lifelong Elvis fan, plans to decorate it in elaborate Elvis style and build a chapel, banquet hall and recording studio to attract weddings and recording  business

Jimmie Rogers Commemorative Marker

 

The Mississippi Blues Commission will unveil a market  for Jimmie Rodgers -- the "father of country music," on May 3rd in Meridian, Mississippi,  in conjunction with the 54th annual Jimmie Rodgers Festival. The marker will be located at Singing Brakeman Park. It will pay tribute to Rodgers and the influence the blues had on his music.

Wynonna Sues For Divorce

The husband of Wynonna Judd, Dan Roach, has been arrested on three counts of aggravated sexual assault on a minor aged under 13. Wynonna has filed for
divorce. The couple married in 2003 - Roach was her personal security chief
for 12 years.

Chris LeDoux Sculpture

D. Michael Thomas has created a lifesize plus sculpture of Chris LeDoux for The Chris LeDoux Memorial Park in Kaycee, WY. The bronze is titled “Good Ride Cowboy.”

 

New Ride At Dollywood

 

Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, TN, has a new ride, "Mystery Mine,”  an 18-million dollar steel roller coaster, the first ride of its kind in the U.S, with several high-speed twists and scary encounters including a fall from a collapsed trestle and a plunge into an abandoned tunnel.

 

Sugar Hill Records Closes Durham Head Office


Sugar Hill Records, a premier roots-music record label that has put out albums for the likes of Dolly Parton, Nickel Creek and Sam Bush, announced Monday that it will move its headquarters from Durham, N.C. to Nashville. But depending on who you talk to, the move is being portrayed either as a cold-hearted corporate downsizing or a nod to Nashville's central position in the growing Americana music genre. Staff at the Durham office were unaware until they arrived at work on Monday and were told that as of that moment the office was closed/ Some were offered positions in Nashville, others lost their jobs


Bob Wills Honoured

Bob Wills will be honored posthumously with the Recording Academy 's lifetime achievement award at a ceremony during Grammy Week activities in Los Angeles , California .

National Medal Of Art For 
Ralph Stanley

Ralph Stanley received the National Medal of Arts from President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush. The medal is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and is the nation's highest honor for artistic excellence.

Vintage folk concerts revived 

Previously unreleased vintage performances by Bill Monroe, Mississippi John Hurt, Maybelle Carter, Dock Boggs, Doc Watson and the Stanley Brothers will be available for the first time on the three-CD set Friends of Old Time Music, due September 26 via Smithsonian Folkways Recordings.

Songwriters Hall Of Fame

Jimmy Buffett is among five nominees being considered for induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in the songwriter-artist category. Additionally, 10 composers have been nominated for two slots in the Hall of Fame's songwriter category for 2006. Joining Buffett in the songwriter-artist category are Arthur Alexander, J.J. Cale, John Hiatt and Tony Joe White. Alexander, who died in 1993, was a country-soul music pioneer whose songs were recorded by the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Elvis Presley. Nominees in the songwriter category include Pat Alger ("The Thunder Rolls"), Larry Henley ("The Wind Beneath My Wings"), Mark James ("Suspicious Minds"), Mac McAnally ("Old Flame"), Bob Morrison ("You Decorated My Life"), Gary Nicholson ("One More Last Chance"), Hugh Prestwood ("The Song Remembers When"), Thom Schuyler ("16th Avenue"), John Scott Sherrill ("Nothin' but the Wheel") and Jim Weatherly ("Midnight Train to Georgia").

Bluegrass Legend Honoured

Legendary bluegrass singer Doyle Lawson has been named as one of 11 recipients of the National Heritage Fellowships, America’s highest honour in the folk and traditional arts from the National Endowment for the Arts. He’ll travel to Washington D.C. with his group in September, where they’ll attend a banquet at the Library of Congress and an awards presentation on Capitol Hill plus a concert on September 15.
Lawson will receive an award of $20,000, but he deems that a "secondary award" to the recognition for the honour. "I was just speechless when they told me about this award," Lawson said. "All my life I’ve been in love with music, but it was always something that I did because I truly loved singing and playing.  

Brenda Lee Awarded

Brenda Lee will receive the Jo Walker-Meador Lifetime Achievement award from the SOURCE Foundation on September 21st. The organization recognizes women who were the gatekeepers for the legendary founding fathers of Nashville's Music Row as well as its first female executives.

Willie Nelson Purchases Childhood Church

According to AOL.com, Willie Nelson has bought the Methodist church he attended and refined his musical chops in during his childhood in Abbott, Texas. The veteran musician performed with his sister Bobbie Nelson and Leon Russell, working through hymns such as "Will the Circle be Unbroken" and "I'll Fly Away" as part of a service celebrating his purchase and preservation of the church.
"Sister Bobbie and I have been going to this church since we were born," Willie told the Associated Press. "We sang, and my sister played piano here. My grandmother brought us, and we came every Sunday, every Monday and Wednesday."
Services have been celebrated at the church south of Dallas for more than a hundred years, and Willie was prompted to make the purchase after a shrinking congregation caused the church to close its doors in May.

Bluegrass Legend Receives National Honours

Legendary bluegrass singer Doyle Lawson has been named as one of 11 recipients of the National Heritage Fellowships, America’s highest honour in the folk and traditional arts from the National Endowment for the Arts. He’ll travel to Washington D.C. with his group in September, where they’ll attend a banquet at the Library of Congress and an awards presentation on Capitol Hill plus a concert on September 15.
Lawson will receive an award of $20,000, but he deems that a "secondary award" to the recognition for the honour. "I was just speechless when they told me about this award," Lawson said. "All my life I’ve been in love with music, but it was always something that I did because I truly loved singing and playing.

Buddy Holly

  The diamond-and-white gold Omega
wristwatch that Buddy Holly was wearing at the time of his death, is among the items being put up for auction by his widow, Maria Elena Holly. 
 The auction, set for Heritage Auction Galleries and Auctioneers in Dallas on April 14-15, will also include unreleased music recordings, Buddy’s passport and other personal items.

Merle Haggard

Merle Haggard will receive the 2006 GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award for lifelong artistic contributions to the recording medium, at a ceremony during GRAMMY Week on Tuesday, February 7th, as well as during the annual GRAMMY Awards on February 8th

Willie Nelson

Willie Nelson was recently inducted into the Hillsboro , Texas Area Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame.  Willie was honored for his help in the rebuilding of the Hill County Courthouse, which was damaged by a fire in 1993 and for his ongoing efforts in helping farmers nationwide through Farm Aid.  

Conway Twitty

A business associate of Conway Twitty is being sued by Twitty’s heirs over the domain name conwaytwitty.com. The family's business partnership, known as Conway Twitty United (CTU), had allowed Royce Inman (of Arkansas Trading Co.) to sell Twitty souvenirs on the Internet under a 1997 agreement. Inman later bought the domain name without CTU's consent and has refused to give it to the family. Twitty died in 1993.

Chesney and Zellweger Marriage Annulled

Kenny Chesney’s four-month marriage to Renée Zellweger was officially annulled December 20 in a Los Angeles court.

Mansfield shot in his car in east Nashville

 

Eric Scott Mansfield a thirty-three year old Warner Bros. creative executive, who was gunned down Friday November 11 while parking his car in east Nashville, had "a gift of humour," his friends said. Mansfield was looking for a place to park his car about 6:35 p.m. when he was shot in the chest by an unknown gunman near the Greenwood Avenue house where he lived. The fatal shot came through an open car door and may have been the result of an attempted robbery, police said. Mansfield is survived by his parents, Charles and Phyllis Krigbaum Mansfield; partner, David Mark Miller II; and his two children.

 

Minnie Pearl Statue

 

Minnie Pearl statue unveiling part of 'Opry' celebration
Minnie Pearl is coming to the Grand Ole Opry once again, but in a larger-than-life format.
A new statue of the Opry humorist, fresh from a foundry in Cody, Wyoming, will be unveiled as part of the country music radio show's 80th birthday.
But in a reversal of the path the late Country Music Hall of Fame member took in 1939 on her journey from Sarah Ophelia Colley of Hickman County to Minnie Pearl, the first lady of homespun humour, this bronze representation will not be staying long at the Opry.
Minnie's image is going home for good to Hickman County, where in Centerville, the county seat, a limestone pedestal of honour has been prepared on the east side of the county courthouse. She's expected to be permanently in place by Oct. 25, which would have been her 93rd birthday.

Mindy Taken To Nashville Hospital

Mindy McCready was transported to a Nashville hospital 23 Sept 2005 after two calls to 911.  Paramedics responded to McCready’s home after a 2:13 AM call regarding a possible overdose, but found nothing wrong.  After a second call at 4:04 AM, Mindy was taken to the hospital.  According to a police report, she had consumed approximately thirty anti-depressant pills after getting into an argument with her boyfriend over the phone.  Last week McCready was released on bond pending trial on a probation charge.  She told the court that pregnancy is the reason she broke probation on a drug conviction and went to Florida to visit family

 

 

Mindy McCready Arrest Warrant


An arrest warrant issued on for Mindy McCready says the country singer has violated her probation on a drug charge. A judge signed off on the warrant Monday because McCready left Tennessee without getting permission from her probation officer and didn't report to the officer during July, according to Williamson County Sheriff's officials

 

Country Singer Join NASCAR

Vince Gill, Trisha Yearwood, Trace Adkins, Diamond Rio, Jo Dee Messina, Kenny Rogers, and Chely Wright  will join NASCAR® drivers Kyle Petty, Richard Petty, Tony Stewart, Michael Waltrip, and Sterling Marlin, January 13th and 14th  in Nashville, Tennessee to raise funds  for The Victory Junction Gang Camp and The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum charities.

 

Spade Cooley Movie Coming

Actor Dennis Quaid has written a film about the late western swing legend Spade Cooley that he plans to direct and star in, alongside actress Katie Holmes.

James Burton Guitar Fest

The James Burton International Guitar Festival is scheduled for August 19th thru 21st in Shreveport, La. and will feature Brad Paisley, Steve Wariner, Johnny Hiland, Doyle Dykes and Alabama 's Jeff Cook. At age of 15, James Burton played lead guitar on Dale Hawkins' classic recording of "Suzie Q" in 1957. He later moved to Los Angeles and became a session and road musician, working with names like Ricky Nelson, Elvis Presley, Emmylou Harris, Merle Haggard, and Frank Sinatra. The festival benefits the James Burton Foundation, which provides instruments and scholarships to children and young adults.

Alabama Inducted 
Into Hall of Fame

The group Alabama was among 17 acts inducted recently into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in Wildwood, New Jersey .  Others inducted were the Doobie Brothers, the Beatles, the Everly Brothers, the O'Jays, Ronettes, and The Jordanaires.

Johnny Cash Sun recordings

Seven albums released by Johnny Cash on Memphis' storied Sun Records label will be packaged together in a limited edition box set due May 24 from Varese Sarabande's Varese Vintage label, distributed through Universal. "The Original Sun Albums -- The Complete Collection" will comprise "Johnny Cash With His Red Hot and Blue Guitar" (1957), "Johnny Cash Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous" (1958), "Greatest!" (1959), "Johnny Cash Sings Hank Williams ... and Other Favorite Tunes" (1960), "Now Here's Johnny Cash" (1961), "All Aboard the Blue Train With Johnny Cash" (1962) and "The Original Sun Sound of Johnny Cash" (1964).

 

Dwight's Honorary Doctorate


Country music singer and actor Dwight Yoakam wore cowboy boots with his cap and gown when he got an honorary doctorate from Ohio Valley College. Yoakam was invited to give the commencement address by the Rev. Keith Stotts, chancellor and former president of Ohio Valley College. Stotts baptized Yoakam when he was a boy attending the Cleveland Avenue (now Northland) Church of Christ in Columbus, Ohio.

 

Emily and Charlie Welcome Twins

Charlie and Emily Robison welcomed the arrival of twins on April 14: Julianna Tex (weighing in at 6 pounds, 6 ounces) and Henry Benjamin (weighing in at 6 pounds, 14 ounces). The Robisons also have a son, Gus, age 2. Emily is a member of The Dixie Chicks and Charlie is a singer-songwriter.

 

Howard Bellamy Marries

Howard Bellamy of the legendary country music duo The Bellamy Brothers married Jennifer Wright on Wednesday, April 6, in Las Vegas. Partner David Bellamy and his wife Susan were also in attendance. The Bellamy Brothers released a new album of collaborations with country stars, entitled Angels & Outlaws, Volume 1, on March 29. Thirty plus guest artists from many genres of music, including Alan Jackson, Montgomery Gentry, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, and George Jones, have recorded their vocals on over twenty of the Bellamys greatest hits and three new selections compiled in a two disc series.

 

Dolly Parton Bends the Ears of US Radio Programmers

  When being honoured with a career achievement award at the Country Music DJ Hall of Fame dinner, held in Nashville on March 1, Dolly Parton made her feelings known regarding radio's role in her career that left the audience laughing
  Parton, who has sold millions of records but gets little airplay in the US these days, told radio programmers, "I think of country radio like a great lover. You were great to me. You bought me a lot of nice things, and then you dumped my ass for younger women."
  After artists Catherine Britt and Martina McBride sang some of Parton's songs as a tribute, Parton told the event organizers -- trade group Country Radio Broadcasters -- "I guess you guys thought I couldn't sing my own.

Charges For Stealing Ray Charles' Master Recordings

 

Terry Howard, 48, a sound engineer for the late Ray Charles, has reportedly been  charged with stealing Ray’s master recordings.  He is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on March 28. Howard was one of the sound engineers on Charles' last album, "Genius Loves Company," which won eight GRAMMYS, including Album of the Year. He was arrested after an executive at Ray Charles Enterprises spotted boxes of the Charles recordings at the engineer’s home and then called the police. 

Lynn Anderson Accused Of Shoplifting


Country singer Lynn Anderson is accused of shoplifting a "Harry Potter" DVD from a Taos, N.M., supermarket and then punching a police officer as she was being put into a patrol car. The 57-year-old artist was arrested Monday night at Smith's Food & Drug Center, said police Chief Neil Curran said.
  Anderson was taken to police headquarters, where she refused the option of a written citation, he said. A Taos County magistrate released the singer on her own recognizance. An arraignment is scheduled for later this week.
  Telephone calls to a listing for Anderson went unanswered.
   In December, Anderson was charged with drunk driving after police found her passed out in her car on the shoulder of a highway near Denton, Texas.
  The Taos resident won a Grammy for the song "Rose Garden" in 1970 and was the Country Music Association's female vocalist of the year in 1971. Last year she released the bluegrass set "Pure Country," her first album in 12 years.

 

 

BCMA Honours 
George Hamilton IV

At the Country Music Association offices I Nashville, Grand Ole Opry member George Hamilton IV received a surprise honour from the British Country Music Association. BCMA Chairman Jim Marshall and Vice Chairman Mike Storey presented Hamilton the BCMA International Artist award, acknowledging both his frequent international tours and his work to build a Country Music presence worldwide. Hamilton expressed his appreciation to the BCMA. "I'm deeply grateful for this," offered Hamilton. "This means more to me than any of y'all could possibly know. You guys have been there to support and encourage us (international artists) all this time.

 

 

CMA INTERNATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, of Brooks & Dunn, and Dierks Bentley, have each been presented with the CMA International Artist Achievement Award for their contributions to Country Music overseas. They received the awards on May 6th backstage at the Acer Arena Sydney, during the final stop of their recent Australian tour.

Barbara Mandrell and Roy Clark, along with Charlie McCoy, have been officially inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
 

“OPRY IS SAFE” - ACCORDING TO GAYLORD

The Grand Ole Opry apparently remains a key investment for its owners, Gaylord Entertainment. After a recent shareholders meeting, Robert Rowling, a billionaire Texas oilman and hotel owner whose company owns 14.9 percent of Gaylord's stock, said that he is "huge country music fan" and doesn't intend to tamper with the Opry and added "The new board members intend to be great stewards of that asset," that asset being Gaylord's world famous entertainment attraction, which has been a Nashville staple since it began in 1925 as a live weekly music performance on WSM-AM radio, now also owned by Gaylord.
All this was apparently in response to a question from Stacy Harris, on long-time critic of the way country music was being treated in Nashville, a thorn in the side of the CMA , and a regular contributor to the UK magazine “Country Music People”. She wanted to know the level of Gaylord’s support for the Opry.

Jimmy Dean's House Burns

Jimmy Dean has lost his Varnia, Virginia home to an accidental fire which reportedly started in the basement.  Dean and his wife, Donna, were at home at the time of the fire and were able to escape the burning structure without injury

Proper Records Deal

Run River Records has signed a distribution deal with Proper Music. The first album to be part of the deal is Charlie Allen's "That Was Then, This Is Now" which will be released officially in the UK on 20th April 2009.

BUDDY MILLER

Singer-songwriter Buddy Miller is recuperating after undergoing triple-bypass heart surgery. The 56-year-old musician was hospitalized  after experiencing chest pains while on the road with Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin and Shawn Colvin on the 3 Girls and Their Buddy tour. Miller, who is also a successful guitarist and producer, appeared with Robert Plant and Alison Krauss at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on February 8th after touring as a member of the duo's band in 2008.

NEW CMA AWARD CATEGORIES

Nashville’s Country Music Association recently announced category and voting procedural changes for the Country Music Hall of Fame, effective from 2010 when the categories will be renamed and defined as follows:
Veterans Era - This category will be for professionals that have been in the industry longer than 25 years.
Modern Era - This category will be for professionals that have been in the industry at least 20 years, but no more than 25 years.
Rotating Categories - The third slot will continue to be a rotating category, with each group in the spotlight every third year. The Recording and/or Touring Musician and Non Performer slots will remain, joined by a new Songwriter category.

NEW HALL OF FAMERS
The Country Music Association recently announced that Roy Clark, Barbara Mandrell and Charlie McCoy will become the newest members of the Country Music Hall of Fame.
 

Kennedy Center Honors For George Jones

Country music icon George Jones has been chosen to receive the 2008 Kennedy Center Honors. Jones, who has been called, the "greatest living country singer," earned his reputation by diving so deeply into a song's lyrics that listeners couldn't help but feel an emotional connection to the song and the singer.
  Since 1978, the Kennedy Center Honors have redefined America's perception of its artistic legacy and reinvented the way this nation rewards artists. The Honors have been compared to a knighthood in Britain, or the French Legion of Honor.

"Stringbean" Killer Up For Parole

One of the two men convicted of killing Grand Ole Opry and Hee Haw performer Dave "Stringbean" Akeman and his wife Estelle nearly 35 years ago is up for parole again, and there's a chance he'll be released. John Brown is serving 198 years for the 1973 slayings. His accomplice and brother, Marvin Douglas Brown, died in prison in 2003. Two members of the parole board have voted to let John A. Brown go free. A total of four parole board members must vote yes in order for Brown to get out of prison. This is his third time he's appealed to the parole board for release. Brown and his brother went to Akeman's house in Goodlettsville, Tennessee to get money, because they'd heard that the country performer kept a substantial amount of funds in his home. Stringbean and his wife, who had been at the Opry, came home to find the two men breaking into their house. The brothers shot the singer as he approached them, and killed Estelle while she was running away.

Hank Cochran undergoes cancer surgery

Nashville, TN (July 18, 2008) -- Songwriting legend Hank Cochran is recovering at a Nashville hospital following surgery performed to remove cancerous tumors from his pancreas and lymph node. "I feel so blessed," says Hank.  "The diagnosis was made very early, and the doctors expect me to make a full recovery." 
  Cochran, a "go-to" man for performers like George Strait, Brad Paisley, Ray Price, Mark Chesnutt, and a favorite writer of the late Eddy Arnold and Patsy Cline, is the writer of timeless classics like "I Fall To Pieces," "Make The World Go Away," "Ocean Front Property" and "The Chair."  He is expected to remain in the hospital for several weeks.

Homes For Sale

The home where Johnny Cash's parents used to live is for sale on eBay. The current owner is asking about 1.4 million dollars for the four bedroom, three bath home in Hendersonville, Tennessee, a suburb of Nashville. Included in the sale are some Cash memorabilia: Cash's Guitar, a one of a kind Gold Record of "I Walk the Line," a life-size Bronze Bust of Cash, a gold locket that opens to reveal pictures of Cash and wife June Carter Cash, a gift from Johnny to his mother. Each of the items comes with a notarized certificate of authenticity by Johnny Cash's brother Tommy Cash. Cash's parents' home sits across the street from the site of the mansion where Johnny and June Carter Cash lived. Their mansion burned down in 2007.

Psychic Uri Geller lost a federal lawsuit over Elvis Presley's first house in Memphis. Geller and two partners claimed the former owners breached an eBay contract to sell the home. Geller's group had the top bid at just over $905,000. But when his group changed the real estate contract to give the owners 60 days to move, the owners took a better deal from Nashville record producer Mike Curb. He bought the house for a million dollars. A federal judge says the eBay auction wasn't binding. Curb plans to let Rhodes College use the building for a music institute. Presley bought the four-bedroom house in 1956 with his early song royalties. He lived there with his parents and grandmother for 13 months before throngs of fans forced them to move to more secluded Graceland in 1957..

Cowboy Keeper Award

Michael Martin Murphey was recently awarded the “Cowboy Keeper Award” by the National Day of the Cowboy organization. The award is given to individuals or organizations that make a substantial contribution to the preservation of Western heritage.

Dan Seals

Dan Seals is completing radiation treatments for lymphoma, following four months at the Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Seals won two CMA Awards in 1986.  He is also one half of England Dan and John Ford Coley

Shania Twain

Shania Twain's marriage to Robert "Mutt" Lange has ended after 14 years. The 17 year age gap between the singer and her producer husband always raised more than a few passing comments in the press but in a statement Mutt said that the split was "an unfortunate thing - we literally just grew apart". Commenting on tabloid reports about an alleged affair between himself and the couple's secretary Marie-Anne Thiebaud, he said in People magazine: "It's absolutely not the reason for the separation. I'm not in a romantic relationship," he said. Shania and Mutt have a six year old son called Eja.

Riders in the Sky Cowboy Spirit Award

Every year the National Festival of the West presents the "Cowboy Spirit Award" to recognise those men and women who have set the example of Western heroes with the integrity, strength of spirit, and moral character depicted by the American Cowboy. From its inception in 1992 when Dale Evans, "Queen of the West," and Patsy Montana, "America's No. 1 Cowboy Sweetheart," received their bronzes, this star-studded presentation ceremony was destined to become the high point of the National Festival of the West. Since that time, thousands of visitors have witnessed and become an integral part of the presentation ceremony. "America’s Favourite Cowboys" Riders In The Sky, and legendary actor John Wayne, were the recipients for 2008.

Walk The Great Wall Of China

Olivia Newton-John will walk along the Great Wall of China starting on April 7 to raise money for a cancer charity. The walk is expected to take 21 days and be completed in Beijing. Newton-John lived through breast cancer in the 1990s. She is donating her proceeds to a cancer research facility in Melbourne, Australia, her hometown. Newton-John scored seven Top 10 country hits in the 1970s and was named the CMA female vocalist of the year in 1974.

Rhoda Vincent & The Rage Dominate
The SPBGMA Awards

The Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music Association Awards were held 3rd Feb 2008 at the Sheraton Music City Hotel in Nashville, TN and the New Queen of Bluegrass and her very talented band members were honored with many prestigious awards.

Bobby Bare's Wife Injured

 

Bobby Bare’s wife Jeannie, escaped serious injury when a tree landed on the couch she was sitting on at their Hendersonville, Tennessee home during high winds. She  was reportedly watching television when a tree crashed into the lakeside home. Jeannie was alone at the time of the accident and managed to crawl from beneath the tree and debris, find a flashlight and call 911. She was treated and released from Hendersonville Medical Center and suffered two cracked vertebrae.

 

Rosanne Cash Recovering

Rosanne Cash is back home and recovering  from surgery for a rare but benign condition which took place on November 27th. The 52-year-old singer is expected to make a full recovery and will resume recording her debut album for Manhattan Records early next year.  She will resume her touring schedule in the spring and finish writing a book to be published in early 2009.

Early Sun Recordings pulled  form auction

A federal judge has permanently blocked the sale of master recordings by Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis. Sun Entertainment Corp., which claimed ownership of the recordings via the Sun Records label, sued to prevent the sale at an auction early next year, and the Sun recordings were pulled from the auction by Ocean Tomo, a Chicago-based firm described on its Web site as "an intellectual capital merchant banc." The tapes were intended to be sold by Creative Sounds Inc., as part of a larger catalog of 30,000 master recordings

Royalties Ruling on Downloads

 

A federal judge in New York has ruled that songwriters and music publishers are  not entitled to receive performance royalties on paid digital downloads. The ruling came as part of an ongoing copyright royalty rate dispute between the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), a music licensing organization, and a group of three online media services, AOL, Yahoo and RealNetworks.

 

Lonestar Change

 

Richie McDonald has quit Lonestar to embark on a solo career. The group will continue despite this. The band also recently lost their recording contract with RCA although another deal is in the pipeline.
 

Country Music Honours

 

Kris Kristofferson  is  this year's recipient of its Johnny Cash Visionary Award. The award  will be presented by Cash's daughter, Rosanne, at the 2007 CMT Music Awards in Nashville

 

Hank Williams, Jr. was honored as “Tennessean of the Year” at the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame annual banquet at the Nashville Convention Center in February.

 

Sammy Kershaw Bankruptcy

 

CMT is reporting that Sammy Kershaw filed for Bankruptcy in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Nashville, on February 6, 2007.  Sammy and Lori Morgan have been separated for several months…is another ugly divorce in store for the folks in Rock-Pop, Tennessee?

 

Doctor Loretta Lynn

 

Loretta Lynn is slated to receive an honorary doctorate of music from Berklee College of Music during her March 17 performance at the Grand Ole Opry.
The honor from the Boston college puts the 71-year-old Lynn into a select group of recording artists that includes Duke Ellington, Tony Bennett, Aretha Franklin, Quincy Jones, B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt, Earl Scruggs, Sting and Sarah Vaughan.

 

Crystal Gail's Tour Bus

 

Crystal Gayle’s bus was used as an escape vehicle by  prison inmate Christopher Daniel Gay, who escaped while being transported between states and journeyed  to Florida from Tennessee in Gayle’s blue Prevost tour bus.  USA International Speedway Operations Manager Barry Williams  inquired about Gayle’s bus being in Lakeland, Fla. Williams had quickly become suspicious of the bus driver who identified himself as Daniel Pitts and said he was at the track to pick up NASCAR driver Tony Stewart. After being questioned by Williams the bus driver left “to get a sandwich.” Williams asked police to run the plates of the bus, thereby determining that it belonged to Gayle. Crystal ’s bus was recovered and Christopher Daniel Gay, 32, was arrested late Friday in Daytona Beach , Florida .

Stonewall Jackson Sues Grand Ole Opry

 

Seventy four year old Stonewall Jackson has filed a $10 million lawsuit against The Grand Ole Opry, charging age discrimination, breach of contract and retaliation. According to Stonewall, his appearances on the show have declined since 1998 and that he lost his health insurance coverage through the Opry, and suffered humiliation and embarrassment. He said the hardships also led to heart problems.

 

Capitol Records

Los Angeles' Capitol Records Tower at Hollywood and Vine has been sold to a New York-based property company

Patsy Cline Museum

As of July 11 2005 a building has been secured for the Patsy Cline Museum in the Old Town historic district of Winchester, Virginia . The Museum is currently under design and was scheduled to open in March of 2006. The opening date has been delayed with Sept 2007 being mentioned.  Celebrating Patsy Cline Inc  abandoned the plans for a small start up and grow as funds came in.  They have grander plans. Which may require as much as $500,000 to be raised before work on the exhibits can begin.. An historical marker in front of her home unveiled on September 3. 

Wilkinsons recovering after car crash

Two members of Canadian family group the Wilkinsons are recovering after being injured in a car crash on August 5.
  Amanda Wilkinson and father Steve have been resting at home in Centre Hastings, Ontario after the accident, which occurred after Steve swerved to avoid an oncoming car attempting to pass on Highway 7 near Sharbot Lake, also in Ontario.
  Steve’s son Tyler, was travelling in a separate car.

Johnny Rodriguez continues to improve 

Johnny Rodriguez was life-flighted to a hospital in Ft. Worth, Texas on Monday August 7, following a bad fall from a horse. He was in critical condition in intensive care and on a respirator, is now conscious but will have a long rehab process. Doctors have determined there is no spinal or brain damage from the fall, however Rodriguez does have a broken jaw, broken cheekbone and numerous lacerations on his face.
  His immediate dates have been cancelled. He was staying near Ft. Worth and had been breaking horses on the side of his entertaining.

Nashville Walk Of Fame

A press conference was held August 10th in downtown Nashville , Tennessee , announcing the creation of the Music City Walk of Fame. Similar to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the new attraction will feature permanent sidewalk medallions with the name of each honoree. The inductions will be open to all singers, musicians, songwriters, producers and music industry executives of all genres who have played a significant role in making Nashville an international music center. The first medallions will be placed in the park across the street from the Country Music Hall of Fame. Nominations for the brushed steel and terrazzo medallions began Thursday. A sponsorship fee of $7,500 is required to pay for creation, installation and ongoing maintenance of each plaque. The project is being produced by Gibson Guitar, the city of Nashville and Metro Parks.

Robert Reynolds buys hunk of Elvis history for $2,500

Nashville musician Robert Reynolds is all shook up about Elvis Presley's favourite roller coaster. Reynolds now owns it — and he has no idea what do to with it.  "I think I'm in over my head for sure," Reynolds, of The Mavericks, said the day after he and business partner Stephen Shutts bought the famous 90-year-old Zippin Pippin wooden coaster an at auction at theme park Libertyland, which closed last year.

Graceland Forever

Elvis may have left it, but this building will be sticking around for a long time. The U.S. Department of Interior officially designated Graceland, the beloved Memphis mansion where the King of Rock 'n' Roll died in 1977, a national historic landmark

Recovering Crow Ready to Hit Road

After undergoing successful cancer surgery, all Sheryl Crow wants to do is hit the road. The 44-year-old singer-songwriter was forced to scrap a spring tour after she was diagnosed with breast cancer last month. She has announced to make up most of those North American dates in support of her most recent Grammy-nominated album, Wildflower, beginning June 12 at the Murat Theater in Indianapolis and wrapping July 8 with a stop at Boston's Fenway Park opening for the Dave Matthews Band.

Hank Jr's Girls Badly Hurt In Smash

Two daughters of country music singer Hank Williams Jr. were badly hurt in a traffic accident on Wednesday in Mississippi. Holly and Hillary Williams - both in their 20s, were injured in the crash en route to the funeral of their maternal grandfather in Louisiana.  Hillary was the worst hurt and her
condition is described as critical.

John Michael Momtgomery Arrested

 Country singer John Michael Montgomery was arrested early Thursday in
Lexington and charged with driving under the influence and possession of a
controlled drug, police said.
  Montgomery, 41, was also charged with having a prescription drug not in its
proper container, two counts of carrying a concealed deadly weapon,
disregarding a traffic control device and improper turning.

Emmylou Harris

Emmylou Harris has been named the 2006 recipient of the Dale Franklin Leadership Award from Leadership Music, a nonprofit organization that promotes communication among professionals working within the Nashville music industry. She will be honored September 19th during a tribute banquet at the new Schermerhorn Symphony Center in downtown Nashville. . 

Hank Williams

Another ruling has been handed down in a decade long fight over recordings made by Hank Williams for WSM Radio and Mothers' Best Flour in the early 1950s. 
  The children of Hank Williams - Hank Jr. and Jett - own the recorded performances, according to the unanimous affirmation of a lower court ruling by the Court of Appeals for Middle Division of Tennessee on January 20th.  Polygram Records had fought for rights to the recordings based on its ownership of Hank's original recording contract with MGM Records. 
  The courts have so far ruled that Polygram owns only those recordings made originally for retail sale.
  You missed your chance to buy Hank Williams Jr.'s car.   The 1964 Pontiac convertible brought a $ 214,500 winning bid at the classic car auction in the Phoenix area last week.  The car is blinged-blinged up with 547 silver dollars, 18 pistols, 17 sterling silver horse heads, 12 silver horseshoes, real leather (the thick stuff) interior and other modest embellishments. 
       Hey, add a thumping sound system and you could really impress the chicks.

Barry Gibb Purchases Johnny Cash  Home

Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees has purchased Johnny and June Carter Cash's former home in Hendersonville, Tennessee. The 13,880-square-foot home was officially purchased by Balinda LLC, a Florida company wholly owned by Gibb and his wife, Linda. The couple plan to restore the home to its original condition and use it as retreat for songwriting. The house on Old Hickory Lake served as the Cash home for 35 years. The property, which includes a 4.6-acre lakefront lot, was placed on the market in June 2005 with an asking price of $2.9 million, but reportedly sold for $2.3 million. When it was listed, it was advertised to be sold "as is," with seven pieces of antique furniture, including the couple's bed. Built in 1968, the house includes seven bedrooms, five full baths and an outdoor swimming pool.

Stars join push for Orbison stamp

Barbara Orbison is convinced her late husband deserves to appear on a first-class stamp. She's enlisted Bono, Dan Aykroyd, Pamela Anderson and other friends and fans in her drive to get the Postal Service to announce plans for an Orbison commemorative stamp by April 23 2006, which would be his 70th birthday. Joining her in the effort is another high-profile rock widow, Olivia Harrison, whose husband, Beatle George Harrison, teamed with Orbison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne in the Traveling Wilburys. Dwight Yoakam was among the first to raise his voice in support of the Orbison project, which now includes an Internet petition at www.royorbison.com. Yoakam wrote a letter to the postmaster general "to respectfully request the consideration of issuing a commemorative stamp in honor of legendary popular music artist Roy Orbison." Yoakam lists John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Bruce Springsteen and Bonnie Raitt among the musicians influenced by Orbison.

Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame

 

New Members Inducted Into The Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame
Vince Gill turned his acceptance speech into a tribute to his wife, Amy Grant, and to the art of songwriting when he and fellow composers Mike Reid, Roger Murrah, Jerry Reed and Gary Burr were inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Sunday (Oct. 16) at Nashville's Renaissance Hotel. The inductions took place before a crowd of approximately 850 well-wishers.

 

Bill Monroe's Son opens new Bluegrass venue

 

 (October 10, 2005)

 Bluegrass musician James Monroe, a veteran entertainer based in Nashville, plans to open a 700-seat music hall and RV campground in Franklin, Kentucky. It is scheduled to be in working operation by April of 2006. The site is two miles north of the Tennessee state line, about a 40-minute drive from Nashville.

 

Bill Monroe's Museum Mandolin

Bill Monroe’s famed Gibson F- 5 mandolin is now part of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum's permanent collection!! The donation by Bob McLean was announced at a press conference earlier this week. this morning. 

John Hartford Honoured

 

On September 9th, The Americana Music Association will  pay special tribute to songwriter John Hartford, who died in 2001.  Hartford will be recognized with the AMA’s President Award.  Hartford's family is expected to be on hand to accept his President's Award, which the AMA presents posthumously in recognition of outstanding contributions to the Americana genre.

 

Hall Of Fame Photo Exhibit

Twelve images from photographer Stephanie P. Ledgin's book, From Every Stage: Images of America's Roots Music, will go on display September 9 at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville .  Published recently by the University Press of Mississippi, the book contains 200 photographs providing a behind-the-scenes look at performers, including Roy Acuff, Roy Clark, Jimmy Martin, Doc Watson, and John Hartford.  There is no admission charge to view the exhibit, which closes November 30.

Willie Opens Theater

 

Willie Nelson is opening his own concert theater, Willie's Place, September at Carl's Corner Truck Stop, located south of Dallas .  Carl's Corner is the flagship filling station for BioWillie, his own blend of biodiesel fuel made from vegetable oils.  The 850-seat concert hall is described as a full-service, year-round live music venue.  Willie will appear at the theater September 26-27.

 

Museum For Hank

In Oak Hill, West Virginia, locals hope to turn an old Pure Oil service station into a museum to honor Hank Williams (that's Hank, Sr.).   Williams was on his way to a show in Ohio when his driver found him dead after pulling into the service station's parking lot on New Year's Day in 1953.   The city of Oak Hill plans to hold a lease on the proposed museum property until it can be turned over to a foundation.

Rayburn Anthony Joins The Tennessee Three

Rayburn Anthony has become the newest member of Johnny Cash's Legendary Tennessee Three (BSW Records/Country Country Records). Rayburn will be touring and playing bass alongside favourites W.S. Holland and Bob Wootton.
Rayburn was a recording artist for Sun Records, famous for working with Conway Twitty, Elvis and Cash himself. The Tennessee Three continue to tour the same style of show that as they have since the start of Johnny Cash's career. The Tennessee Three will release their new album, We Still Miss Someone,

Founding Member Of Jordanaires Dies

Funeral services were held Saturday, April 9, in Springfield, Missouri for Monty Matthews, a founding member of the Jordanaires vocal group, who died last Tuesday, April 5, at age 77. Monty and his brother, Bill Matthews, formed the Jordanaires in 1948. The Jordanaires were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001.

 

Ray Charles Honoured

The Eye Birth Defects Research Foundation is honoring Ray Charles at their first gala dinner, which is scheduled for May 12th at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills , California . “A Celebration Of Sight” will raise money for surgical and genetic eye research.  The ceremony will also honor a number of doctors and organization leaders who have worked to promote eye care and for the advancement of the treatment and prevention of eye diseases.

Wilburn Family Charity Settle Will

A fight over the estate of late singer and music publisher Teddy Wilburn ended 27 January with a deal that gives scholarships to local college students and keeps one of the city's largest charitable organizations out of a legal battle with country star Loretta Lynn.
   The agreement ends a months-long court fight between members of Wilburn's family and the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. It also gives students at Vanderbilt and Tennessee State universities a combined $1 million in scholarship money.

June Carter Died At 73

Singer, songwriter, actress, author and the daughter, wife, mother and stepmother of some of the brightest stars in the country music firmament - June Carter Cash died Thursday (May 15) at 5:04 p.m. at Baptist Hospital in Nashville of complications from heart surgery. She was 73.

June was in a Nashville Hospital recovering from replacement of a Heart Valve. Johnny Cash kept a vigil by his wife's side since her heart surgery on May 7th. She died from complications yesterday, May 15th, at Baptist Hospital in Nashville.

Johnny Cash personally superseded the earlier press release regarding the fact that June Carter Cash's funeral be a private occasion. "Johnny wants June's fans and friends everywhere to be able to come and pay their respects along with her family," said Johnny and June Carter Cash's manager Lou Robin.

Johnny Cash in a personal statement is quoted as saying, "Thanks to June's friends, fans, and loved ones for the outpouring of love at this terrible time. I love you all."

The funeral will be on Sunday, May 18th at 2:00 P.M. at the First Baptist Church of Hendersonville, in Hendersonville, Tennessee.

Valerie June Carter was born June 23, 1929, in Maces Springs, Va., to Ezra J. and Maybelle Addington Carter. Two years earlier, Maybelle -- with her cousin Sara and Sara's husband, A. P. -- had joined several other acts in the Virginia-Tennessee border town of Bristol to make a series of recordings that would launch country music as a distinct commercial art form. Taught by her mother to play autoharp, Carter gave her first public performance in 1937 along with her sisters, Helen and Anita, on a Bristol radio show.

In 1952, Carter married fellow Grand Ole Opry star Carl Smith, who was then one of the hottest young acts in country music. Their daughter, Rebecca Carlene, was born in 1955. She would later achieve fame as Carlene Carter and gain her greatest prominence as a solo country artist in the early 1990s. June Carter and Smith divorced in the late 1950s. She then married Rip Nix, a union that produced another daughter, Rosie.

The Carters joined Johnny Cash's road show in 1961. Cash had a No. 1 hit in 1963 with "Ring of Fire," a song Carter co-wrote with Merle Kilgore. In 1967, Carter and Cash scored their first duet hit, "Jackson." It went to No. 2 on the country charts and won them a Grammy. They followed "Jackson" a few months later with "Long-Legged Guitar Pickin' Man," which climbed to No. 6. The two singers married in 1968. The next year, they won the Country Music Association award for vocal group of the year. Their 1970 recording of "If I Were a Carpenter" rose to No. 2 on the charts and earned them another Grammy. That same year, their son, John Carter Cash, was born.

Carter penned two autobiographies -- Among My Klediments, published in 1979, and From My Heart, which came out in 1987. She released the solo album Press On in 1999. Her first such project since Appalachian Pride in 1975, Press On won her a Grammy for best traditional folk album. At the time of her death, she was recording an album for Dualtone Records. She and Cash performed together last September at the Americana Music Awards in Nashville. One of her last public appearances was on April 7 in Nashville at the CMT Flameworthy 2003 Video Music Awards, where she accepted a career achievement award on behalf of her husband, who had recently returned home after being hospitalized for pneumonia. She underwent surgery on May 7 to replace a heart valve.

June Carter Cash is survived by her husband, Johnny, daughters Carlene Carter and Rosie, son John Carter Cash, and step-daughters Rosanne, Tara, Kathy and Cindy

Ray Charles Dies

 

Ray Charles is being remembered for his musical talents and his friendship in the wake of his death June 10 at the age of 73.  The singer died of acute liver disease at his Beverly Hills home at 11:35 a.m., surrounded by family and friends. Blind by age 7 and an orphan at 15, the gifted pianist and saxophonist spent his life shattering any notion of musical categories and defying easy definition.  Statements issued by the likes of Stevie Wonder, Willie Nelson and James Brown recall a consummate musician and, as described by Aretha Franklin, a "fabulous man."