Search Results for "Wynonna Judd"

Wynonna and Naomi Judd arrive on the Red Carpet for "The 43rd Annual CMA Awards," on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009, live from the Sommet Center in Nashville on the ABC Television Network. Photographer: Jim Hagans / CMA.

Fans who attended the CMA Music Festival in Nashville last June saw an emotional reunion of the Judds, as Naomi Judd — forced to retire from the road when she contracted hepatitis C — wiped away tears as the duo sang some of its classic songs for thousands of fans. The crowd gave Naomi and Wynonna an outpouring of affection, and Mama Judd looked to be yearning for a more permanent return to the stage that once served as her second home.

That might well happen once the calendar turns to another year. Some sort of reunion appears to be in the works for the two singers who dominated the duo category at country awards shows before the emergence of Brooks & Dunn.

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Taylor Swift performs “Forever & Always” at “The 43rd Annual CMA Awards,” on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009, live from the Sommet Center in Nashville on the ABC Television Network. Photographer: John Russell / CMA. Provided by Country Music Association.

Judging from the early online comments from GACTV.com readers, Taylor Swift’s four wins at the 43rd annual Country Music Association Awards will be accompanied by controversy. She won Entertainer of the Year, Female Vocalist, Album and Music Video, setting records as the first teen victor in each category and ending streaks of three-year reigns for Kenny Chesney and Carrie Underwood.

Taylor is not a traditional artist in any sense of the word — not in sound, not in age and not in the demographic she appeals to. So when her band and record company president, Scott Borchetta, gave her a group hug at the end of the evening, it was a physical manifestation of the embrace she got at the ballot box from the country business.

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Keith Urban photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

The Country Music Association has announced the first round of performers for the “43rd Annual CMA Awards.” Keith Urban, Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Reba McEntire, Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, George Strait, Sugarland, Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood.

“The 43rd Annual CMA Awards,” hosted by Brad and Carrie, airs live from the Sommet Center in Nashville, Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.  Continue Reading

Dierks Bentley photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

Sept. 30, 2009 — Dierks Bentley was the only country artist on the list this summer when Forbes magazine named 10 people most likely to break from stardom into superstardom. But if he’s ever tempted to take himself too seriously, he needs only look to his past to keep his feet on the ground.

Dierks took a lot of odd jobs to finance his life before he found his way in the music business, and one of those required him to clean 250-gallon septic tanks on houseboats at Lake Powell in Arizona.

“[One day] I was working these levers and suddenly the guys I was working with jumped back in horror,” he told The Orange County Register. “I had done it wrong, and the waste was just shooting out all over everything. Continue Reading

Wynonna photo courtesy of Curb Records. Photo credit: Kristin Barlowe.

By Deborah Evans Price

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

It’s been a colorful journey. Fiery redhead Wynonna is the first to admit there’ve been a few bumps along the way, but her inimitable voice and willpower have allowed her to survive and thrive. She’s learned a lot along the way, and smart newcomers will heed her advice.

“The hardest thing in this business is to really, really stay true to yourself,” she advised, speaking to students at Nashville’s Belmont University, on the occasion of a release party and concert for her latest album, Sing Chapter 1, organized by the school’s Record Company Operations class. Continue Reading