The Judds photo courtesy of Webster PR.

The Judds make a rare Grand Ole Opry appearance tonight when they flip a switch at the Opry House and turn the live radio show’s traditional red barn backdrop pink.  Grand Ole Opry_® is joining Women Rock For The Cure and Susan G. Komen for the Cure_® for this special event supporting the fight against breast cancer.

Naomi Judd talks to our friends at Dial Global about why this event is so important to her:

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And Wynonna shared her thoughts on how the healing power of music can make a big difference in peoples lives:

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Since Naomi’s retirement from touring 1991, she’s made only occasional trips back to the stage, but this Opry performance is — in some ways — a tune up for a whole series of shows. The Judds begin their Last Encore Tour in Green Bay on Nov. 26. And Naomi will probably end up in a trance-like state for part of the concert almost every night.

That’s how it was when Wynonna and Naomi played for more than 40,000 fans at the CMA Music Festival in 2009. And it’s a direct result of Naomi’s relationship with both the audience and her daughter.

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The Judds photo courtesy of Webster PR.

Oprah Winfrey kicks off her 25th season on daytime TV next week, launching what’s billed as her final season.

So who’s among the first week’s guests? Appropriately, the Judds, who are reuniting this fall for what they’re calling their Last Encore Tour.

Wynonna and Naomi are slated for Tuesday’s “Oprah” show, according to The Chicago Tribune, with Wy discussing her loss of a staggering 60 pounds. The edition was taped Sept. 3, according to a tweet from executive producer Sheri Salata, and the Judds talk a bit about what fans can expect with the Last Encore.

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Elvis Presley image used by permission, Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

The King is gone, but he’s certainly not forgotten — especially in Memphis, where the city is gearing up for Elvis Week, the annual pilgrimage of fans marking the loss of a cultural icon.

This year’s Elvis Presley activities kick off Tuesday, Aug. 10, when an Elvis tribute artist (that’s a euphemism for Elvis impersonator) re-creates one of Presley’s first noteworthy concerts at a venue formerly known as the Overton Park Shell. It all wraps up Aug. 16 — the anniversary of Elvis’ 1977 death — with a concert at Graceland Mansion.

In between those bookends is a wealth of panel discussions, movie screenings and even a 5k run and walk. Naomi Judd’s husband, Larry Strickland, will take part in a performance during one event as a member of the Stamps Quartet. He was a part of the vocal group when it toured with Elvis during the 1970s.

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The Judds photo courtesy of Webster PR.

Fans hoping to catch Naomi and Wynonna on their final tour, The Judds: The Last Encore, listen up! The Judds have announced the on-sale dates for their last shows as well as exclusive VIP packages for the ultimate Judds fan experience.

The mother-daughter duo is offering two unique fan packages. The first, The Judds “Fan Package,” gives fans premium seating in rows 6-10. Fans will also get preferred parking when available, early entrance to the venue for shopping in a crowd-free environment and a pre-show reception with hors d’oeuvres and beverages. Fans will also receive a one-of-a-kind ‘Fan Experience’ t-shirt not available for purchase.

For the ultimate VIP experience, Judd-heads can purchase “The VIP Experience.” This package will include everything in the “Fan Package” plus guaranteed seating in the first five rows. They will also get a meet and greet with The Judds after the show, where they will receive an autographed commemorative plaque and a free digital photo.

The Judds: The Last Encore will feature new music from the Judds as well as favorites from the last 25 years and Wynonna’s biggest solo hits. Christmas songs will also be weaved throughout the set list. The tour will kick off the Friday after Thanksgiving (November 26) in Green Bay, WI and wraps up December 19 in Phoenix, AZ.

The Judds: The Last Encore Tour on-sale dates are as follows:

11/26 – Green Bay WI – Resch Center                                             
On sale Saturday, July 17

11/27 – Mt. Pleasant, MI – Soaring Eagle Casino                             
On sale Friday, Sept 3

11/28 – Moline, IL – i wireless Center                                              
On sale Friday, Sept 17

11/30 – Prior Lake, MN – Mystic Lake Casino                                 
On sale Saturday, Sept 18

12/2 – Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center          
On sale Monday, Sept 13

12/3 – Louisville, KY – KFC Yum! Center                                      
On sale Friday, Sept 13

12/4 – St. Charles, MO – Family Arena                                            
On sale Friday, July 16

12/5 – Council Bluffs, IA – Mid-America Center                             
On sale Friday, July 23

12/7 – Colorado Springs, CO – World Arena                                               
On sale Friday, Sept 10

12/8 – Broomfield, CO – 1STBANK Center                                    
On sale Friday, Sept 17

12/9 – Salt Lake City, UT – EnergySolutions Arena
On sale Friday, Sept 10

12/11 – Oakland, CA – Oracle Arena                                                           
On sale Sunday, Sept 19

12/12 – Sacramento, CA – ARCO Arena                                         
On sale Friday, July 16

12/15 – Los Angeles, CA – Nokia Theatre L.A. Live                       
On sale Friday, Sept 17

12/16 – Santa Ynez, CA – Chumash Casino                                     
On sale Tuesday, August 3

12/17 – Rancho Mirage, CA – Agua Caliente Casino                       
On sale Saturday, October 30

12/18 – Las Vegas, NV – Mandalay Bay Events Center/Arena       
On sale Saturday, August 7

12/19 – Phoenix, AZ – US Airways Center                                      
On sale Saturday, August 28

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The Judds photo courtesy of Webster PR.

After months of lead-in, the Judds have set 18 dates for a 2010 tour, plotting it for a time on the calendar that’s exceedingly appropriate for a family reunion.

Wynonna and Naomi will kick off the Last Encore Tour on Nov. 26, the day after Thanksgiving, in Green Bay, Wis. They’ll spend most of their time in the Midwest and on the West Coast, winding down the run on Dec. 19 in Phoenix, Ariz., at the US Airways Center, the same arena where they recorded a reunion album on Dec. 31, 1999.

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Wynonna Judd photo courtesy of Curb Records.

They belong to families with big country heritage. But Hank Williams III and Wynonna Judd have one more thing in common: They each debuted in the Top 10 this week on the Billboard Country Albums chart.

Hank checked in at No. 4 with his album Rebel Within, which he vows will be the last in a cantankerous relationship with his record company. Wynonna, meanwhile, opened at No. 7 with Love Heals, a project she released through Cracker Barrel.

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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.

When the Judds reunite for a tour this year, they’ll take a huge number of fans down a nostalgic road. You can bet Wynonna and Naomi have already been taking that trip as they’ve been in the studio again — and as they contemplate the eight-year ride to stardom they took during the 1980s.

Naomi had many of those moments in mind Saturday when she and Joe Galante, the record executive who signed her to RCA Records, chatted with the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Michael McCall in a public Q&A. She was particularly mindful of the day in March 1983 when she and Wynonna secured their recording deal by auditioning for Joe and several other decision-makers at the RCA offices.

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Tim McGraw and wife Faith Hill. Photo courtesy of Curb Nashville and Warner Bros. Nashville.

In response to last week’s devastating Tennessee floods, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill have assembled a jaw-dropping lineup of talent for a June 22 benefit concert at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, one of the downtown venues that took in water when the Cumberland River overflowed its bank.

“Nashville Rising: A Benefit Concert For Flood Recovery” will also feature Brooks & Dunn, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert, Luke Bryan, Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, LeAnn Rimes, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Martina McBride. Even more acts are expected to be announced at a future date.

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Dierks Bentley photo courtesy of artist.

Dierks Bentley announced on Sunday that he was cancelling shows from his Up On The Ridge Tour in Knoxville and Charlottesville, Va., as Nashville grapples with devastating floods.

Travelling around — or out of — Music City became a hazardous Rubik’s cube over the weekend as many major roads became impassable and sections of at least two water-covered interstates were shut down. Dierks’ band members and some of their relatives faced potentially severe property damage, leading Dierks to skip his concerts Sunday and Monday.

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

Most country artists are obsessed with having hits. Every album needs to have multiple potential singles, and some acts literally want every song on their project to be something that would get radio stations excited.

Not so with Wynonna Judd. She still cares about the music — and wouldn’t mind hearing more of her current recordings on the air — but that’s no longer the driving force it was in an earlier era.

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