Photo courtesy of Showboat Records.

GAC extends condolences to the family, friends and fans of songwriter Liz Anderson, mother of “Rose Garden” singer Lynn Anderson. Liz passed away October 31 at the age of 80 from complications of heart and lung disease. Liz and her husband Casey were successful songwriters, with Merle Haggard’s “(My Friends Are Gonna Be) Strangers” and “(I’m A Lonesome) Fugitive” among their compositions.

Born in Roseau, Minnesota, Liz played mandolin as a child and sang in her local church choir. At 13, her family moved to Grand Fork, North Dakota and at 16, she married husband Casey. Lynn was born a year later. In 1957, the family moved to Sacramento, California where the limited popularity of country music led Liz to start writing songs. Casey was a member of the Sherriff’s Posse which was going to take part in the National Centennial Pony Express Celebration . He convinced his wife to write a song in honor of the Pony Express, which went on to be named the celebration’s official song.

Liz began publishing songs and made friends with the growing country music community in Bakersfield during the early 60s. Some of her earliest hits were “Be Quiet Mind” recorded by Del Reeves and “Pick of the Week” recorded by Roy Drusky. Many artists in the 1960s recorded at least one of her songs on their albums, including Charley Pride, Tammy Wynette, George Jones, Waylon Jennings, Kitty Wells, Connie Smith and Bill Anderson. She went on to publish more than 260 songs during her career and earned five BMI Awards. Continue Reading

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Martina McBride on the Grand Ole Opry. Photo by Chris Hollo, courtesy of Schmidt Relations.

The Grand Ole Opry will celebrate its 86th birthday the whole month of October with a list of all-star artists and special shows and events, many of which will be aired on GAC during episodes of Opry Live.

The party kicks off October 4 when the Opry honors Randy Travis for 25 years in country music and as an Opry member. Carrie Underwood, Connie Smith and Josh Turner are just a few of the artists scheduled to be on hand to honor Randy. Several performances from the night will be part of an episode of Opry Live to air on GAC October 15 at 9/8 CT.

The Opry’s Official 86th Birthday Bash Weekend will be held October 7 and 8 and feature performances from Charley Pride, Rascal Flatts and the solo Opry debut of Ronnie Dunn. Other events scheduled for the weekend are a Saturday afternoon birthday concert featuring Mel Tillis and a free Opry Plaza Birthday Party. GAC will broadcast the birthday party live on Opry Live at 9/8 CT.

Chris Young, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, LeAnn Rimes, Montgomery Gentry, Sara Evans, Scotty McCreery and Trace Adkins are all scheduled to appear on the Opry October 11. The night will also include a live broadcast of Opry Live at 8/7 CT. Other performances from the night will be filmed for a an episode of Opry Live to air October 29 at 9/8 CT. Continue Reading

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Blake Shelton on the Grand Ole Opry stage. Photo courtesy of the Grand Ole Opry.

Fans touring the Grand Ole Opry will now have Opry member Blake Shelton along as a video guide. While a tour guide will be accompanying visitors during their look behind the scenes of the Opry, Blake will join the group via video at the Opry’s backstage entrance, in Studio A and in the Opry Green Room. He will be providing fans with both historic information and personal stories of his Opry experiences.

In the backstage check-in area and Opry Member Gallery, Blake will appear to recall the night he was asked to join the Opry family. There will also be highlights of Opry invitations and inductions featuring Trace Adkins, Craig Morgan, Josh Turner, and Carrie Underwood. “Opry membership is a thrill that never gets old,” Blake says during the video. Continue Reading

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l-r: Jon Randall, Alison Krauss, Bill Anderson and Dan Tyminski. Photo by Joel Micah for the Grand Ole Opry.

The Grand Ole Opry honored Whisperin’ Bill Anderson for his 50th anniversary as an Opry member Saturday night. Bill made his Opry debut just a few weeks before turning 21 and became a member less than three years later. “I’m more nervous tonight than I was 50 years ago!” Bill said during his performance Saturday.

Video taped messages from Brad Paisley and Steve Wariner aired during the celebration and a #50 Ryman Martin guitar was presented to Bill by Opry Vice President and General Manager Pete Fisher. Alison Krauss made a surprise appearance, performing  “Whiskey Lullaby” with Jon Randall and Dan Tyminski. The song was written by Bill and Jon and was recorded by Brad Paisley and Alison. Continue Reading

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Bill Anderson

Whisperin’ Bill Anderson will celebrate his 50^th anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday, July 16 at 7 p.m. at the Opry House. Bill made his debut on the Opry stage just a few weeks before turning 21 and was inducted as a member less than three years later.

“Beginning with classics sung by Ray Price, Lefty Frizzell, Connie Smith, and more, and continuing today with unforgettable hits by the biggest names in the business, Bill Anderson tunes have hit the country charts in each of the last seven decades,” said Pete Fisher, Opry vice president and general manager. “Of course Bill is also known around the world for his own hit records as well as for blazing country music trails far and wide for others to follow. We look forward to celebrating with one of country music’s very best Saturday night.” Continue Reading

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New Hall of Fame members Jean Shepard, Bobby Braddock and Reba McEntire at the 2011 Country Music Hall of Fame Medallion Ceremony, held on Sunday, May 22 at the Hall of Fame in Nashville. Photo by Donn Jones Photography (Donn Jones, Richard Suter, Terry Wyatt).

Members of the Country Music Hall of Fame and some of country’s biggest stars reunited at the Country Music Hall of Fame^® and Museum on Sunday, May 22, 2011 to salute Country Music Hall of Fame inductees Bobby Braddock, Reba McEntire and Jean Shepard. Click HERE to see our star-studded photo gallery from the night!

At the invitation of the Country Music Association, the private Medallion Ceremony became the official rite of induction for new members of the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007.  The evening included musical salutes to Braddock, McEntire and Shepard. The new members were inducted and welcomed as peers by members of the Hall of Fame, who also presented keepsake medals:  Bill Anderson inducted Braddock; Dolly Parton inducted Reba; and George Jones inducted Jean.

Artists paying tribute to Braddock included Billy Currington, Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton, Tracy Lawrence, and George Jones with Jimmy Capps, Charlie McCoy and Millie Kirkham; artists saluting Reba included Garth Brooks, Kelly Clarkson and Martina McBride, Vince Gill, and Trisha Yearwood; and artists honoring Shepard included Bill Anderson and Elizabeth Cook, Vince Gill, and Ranger Doug Green of Riders in the Sky.  All the performers were backed by John Hobbs and the 2011 Medallion All-Star Band.  With ceremony musical director Hobbs on keyboards, the Medallion All-Stars included Eddie Bayers Jr., drums; Paul Franklin, steel guitar; Steve Gibson, electric guitar; Michael Rhodes, bass guitar; Deanie Richardson, fiddle; Dawn Sears, background vocals; Biff Watson, acoustic guitar; and Jeff White, background vocals. Vince and the McCrary Sisters sang the traditional opening hymn, performing “Down by the Riverside.”

In addition to Anderson, Braddock, Gill, Jones, McCoy, McEntire, Parton and Shepard, other Hall of Fame members who attended included Harold Bradley, Ralph Emery, Jimmy Fortune of the Statler Brothers, Sonny James, Brenda Lee, Barbara Mandrell, Gordon Stoker of the Jordanaires and Jo Walker-Meador.

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A Bill Anderson & Jan Howard album from 1972.

If you’re coming to town for CMA Music Festival, you might want to add ‘The Duets of Country Music’ to your list of must-see events. For those of you who love old country music, this event pairs Bill Anderson and Jan Howard, Jim Ed Brown and Helen Cornelius, Jack Green and Jeannie Seely, David Frizzell and Shelly West and new Hall of Fame Member Jean Shepard and son with Harold Hawkins. Kyle Cantrell will host the event.

Sponsored by R.O.P.E., Duets of Country Music will take place in Nashville on June 8 from 7 to 10 pm. Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for children ages 6-12. Advanced tickets can be purchased by mailing check or money order to R.O.P.E, P.O. Box 2048, Madison, TN 37116. Continue Reading

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Keith Urban & Nicole Kidman at the 2011 Music City Walk of Fame Induction Ceremony on Sunday, May 15. Photo by Ricky Moson/GAC Staff.

Yesterday may have been a gray day in Nashville, but you wouldn’t have known it, based on the smiles of Keith Urban and Bill Anderson. The two accomplished artists were inducted into the Music City Walk of Fame downtown and were joined by GAC host Bill Cody and 2006 inductee, Ronnie Milsap. GAC was a proud sponsor of the event and we have a must-see photo gallery from the event Continue Reading

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Keith Urban & Bill Anderson.

This Sunday, four-time Grammy Award winner Keith Urban and country music legend Bill Anderson will be inducted into the Music City Walk of Fame, presented by founding sponsor Gibson Guitar. The honorees will be recognized officially with the unveiling of commemorative sidewalk markers on Sunday, May 15, beginning at 2:30 p.m. in Walk of Fame Park in downtown Nashville. The induction ceremony, which is sponsored by Great American Country (GAC), is free and open to the public.

The induction of Bill and Keith will bring the total number of stars along the Walk of Fame to 50, marking a significant milestone for the Walk. Created in the fall of 2006, the Music City Walk of Fame, on Nashville’s Music Mile, is a landmark tribute to those from all genres of music who have made significant contributions to preserving the musical heritage of Nashville and have contributed to the world through song or other industry collaboration.

Permanent sidewalk medallions with each honoree’s name displayed in a star-and-guitar design will be installed in the sidewalk along the Music Mile. The plaques for this class of inductees will be inlaid in Walk of Fame Park on Demonbreun, between 4th and 5th Avenues South. Continue Reading

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Jamey Johnson photo courtesy of UMG Nashville.

By Robert K. Oermann
© 2011 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Jamey Johnson has a way of defying our expectations. At a time when it is harder than ever to sell full-length albums relative to single digital tracks, he has followed his Mercury Nashville Gold-certified That Lonesome Song with a double album. The Guitar Song contains 25 songs and demands more than an hour of a listener’s attention – yet in September it debuted at the top of the Country chart and at No. 4 on the all-genre Billboard Top 200.

The music video for his anti-Hollywood song “Playing the Part,” written by Johnson and Shane Minor, was filmed in Hollywood and directed by actor Matthew McConaughey. And though at the top of his game as a Country songwriter and record producer, Johnson has also taken a left turn to produce a gospel album for the legendary Blind Boys of Alabama. Continue Reading

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