News And Notes

All posts tagged "Tragedy"

Jun 26

Country Music & the Late Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett

Jimmy Wayne photo courtesy of the Valory Music Co.

Jimmy Wayne photo courtesy of the Valory Music Co.

Celebrity deaths, it’s been said, come in threes, and that was certainly true this week with the passing of Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett and Ed McMahon.

They were not country figures, but each of them had a small level of influence on the genre. And in the middle of their much-covered deaths, the loss of songwriter Tim Krekel — who authored a pair of hits — was overshadowed. Continue Reading

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Posted at 10:01 am | Permalink
Mar 24

New Alan Jackson Video is Personal

Alan Jackson photo courtesy of SonyBMG Nashville.

Alan Jackson photo courtesy of SonyBMG Nashville.

Alan Jackson’s new video, “Sissy’s Song,” started airing on GAC on Monday, and it’s one that was inspired by a tragedy in his own life.

Leslie “Sissy” Fitzgerald worked for Alan and his family, and they saw her on a daily basis until May 20, 2007, when she died in a motorcycle accident. Her husband, who restores cars for a living, works with Alan, and Sissy also left behind a college-age daughter and a son in high school.

The shock of such a sudden tragedy hit everyone who knew her, including Alan.

“I didn’t sleep for a while,” he says. “So I sat down one day and wrote this song, and after that I felt all right.”

Alan gave a recording of “Sissy’s Song” to the Fitzgeralds to use at the funeral, and Alan quickly discovered that it had the same impact on others that it had on him.

“A lot of people told me how much it made them feel better and helped them get through it a little easier,” he says, “so I was very proud of it.”

The black-and-white video, directed by Scott Scovill, features Alan in performance shots against the back-lit pews of the historic Bear Creek Church, a tiny Civil War-era building listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

In addition to seeing him in the “Sissy’s Song” video, you’ll soon be able to spot Alan in a CBS special. On April 6, the day after the “44th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards”, he’ll be part of the performing cast taping “George Strait: ACM Artist Of The Decade, An All Star Concert Special.” Brooks & Dunn, Jamey Johnson, Montgomery Gentry, LeAnn Rimes, Lee Ann Womack, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, John Rich, Jack Ingram and Jamie Foxx are the latest guests announced for the show, which airs May 27.

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Apr 12

Gary Allan Talks About Wife’s Suicide

Gary Allan photo courtesy of MCA Nashville.

Gary Allan photo courtesy of MCA Nashville.

Gary Allan speaks out on his wife’s suicide in an article that will appear in the new issue of People magazine, which hits newsstands tomorrow. This marks the first time he has publicly discussed the tragedy since it happened in October of 2004.

Gary reveals that Angela suffered from depression, but was never properly treated for the condition because it always seemed to start with allergy-related migraines. In the article, he shares in detail the events that led to his wife’s death. Continue Reading

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Headline Country

Take a trip inside the world of country music with host Storme Warren! Watch full episodes of Headline Country now.