Dolly Parton photo courtesy of Dolly Records.

Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” was made famous worldwide by Whitney Houston after it appeared on The Bodyguard soundtrack. The song was played during Whitney’s funeral. Dolly told Fox 411 Country that hearing the song play during the funeral was her breaking point.

“The fact that they used it at her funeral just killed me,” Dolly said. “That’s when I really lost it. I was shocked and hurt and disheartened when she passed, but it was one of those things where I hadn’t really fell down and wept over it. But when they lifted her coffin and started playing that song, man it just stabbed me in the heart. I just boo-hoo’d for every single reason – her loss, the fact that it was our song, and I was also thinking that was probably what they’d be playing at my funeral too! It was such an overwhelming emotion.”

Dolly said she and Whitney will forever have the link of “I will Always Love You” between them. “I will always think of this song as mine and Whitney’s song because I had a number one record on it myself, and had a duet with Vince Gill on the song, but it was Whitney who took it worldwide,” Dolly said. “So I’ll always be very proud of that, and grateful.” Continue Reading

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INDIO, CA - APRIL 25: Musician Earl Scruggs performs onstage during day one of California's Stagecoach Country Music Festival held at the Empire Polo Club on April 25, 2009 in Indio, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images)

2,300 mourners turned out Sunday, April 1 to pay tribute to the late Earl Scruggs at the public funeral held at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, reports the Associated Press. It was a fitting tribute to the legendary banjo player,who played his songs for years on the Grand Ole Opry and Ryman stage. Earl passed away at the age of 88 on March 28.

“No one will ever play the banjo like Earl,” Charlie Daniels said.  Better known for his fiddle and guitar playing, Charlie told those gathered the mourners that when he was a young studio musician, Earl invited him to join the Earl Scruggs Revue.

Earl partnered with Lester Flatt, a guitarist, for 20 years to become the most famous duo in Bluegrass. The pair were best known for their song “The Ballad of Jed Clampett” from The Beverly Hillbillies TV series. Before that, their song “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” was featured in 1967’s Bonnie and Clyde movie. The pair went their separate ways in 1969 and Lester passed away 10 years later in 1979.

“He was the most humble musician I ever met,” Ricky Skaggs said of Earl. “He was always listening,not at himself but at the next generation.” Bluegrass artist Del McCoury echoed that statement, crediting Earl with inspiring him to pick up a guitar. “If not for Earl Scruggs, I might not have played music at all,” he said.

Von Moye was among the mourners. A banjo player himself, he drove from Flat Top, West Virginia for the funeral. “He had a gift,” Von said. “He took three fingers and gave it a whole new style.”

Earl was known for his three finger style of banjo playing over the limited clawhammer style that was once popular. His three finger style elevated the banjo to a lead instrument that was not only flashy, but as versatile as a guitar. Continue Reading

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Don Williams' 2012 CD, And So It Goes. Photo courtesy of Sugar Hill Records.

Don Williams will release And So It Goes, his first new album since 2004, on June 19. Don has spent most of the last several years living quietly on his farm in Tennessee, but when the opportunity to head back into the studio with producer Garth Fundis presented itself, Don went back to work, creating an album of memorable, classic-sounding songs. Don will also go on tour to promote the project.

“I didn’t do this album because I just felt that I was going to die if I didn’t do another one, but because of all of that encouragement to do it,” Don said. “So here we are—and now I’m feeling good about it.”

In addition to having his long-intact working band play on the album, which Don calls “a beautiful thing,” Keith Urban, Alison Krauss and Vince Gill are also a part of the project. They contributed both key instrumentals and vocal backing to the project. “We weren’t looking to reinvent Don, just to make a good new Don Williams record,” Fundis said. Continue Reading

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Kenny Chesney photo courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.

Today the Academy of Country Music is announcing the winners of awards that will not be televised during the live telecast of the 47^th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, telecast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 1, 2012 at 8 p.m. live ET/delayed PT on CBS, due to time constraints. Special Awards, Industry Awards, MBI (Musician, Bandleader, Instrumentalist) and Songwriter of the Year honorees will be feted at the 6^th Annual ACM Honors event on September 24, 2012 in Nashville.

Check out our ACM Awards Section for a complete list of nominees, photos & exclusive interviews >>

The Academy of Country Music Special Awards are voted on by the ACM Board of Directors and are awarded during years where the Board of Directors feels there are clear and deserving candidates. Industry Awards are voted on by professional members of the Academy. The MBI ballot is voted on by professional members of the Academy classified in the Artist-Entertainer/Musician-Bandleader-Instrumentalist category, and the Producer-Engineer-Studio Manager sub-category (contained within the Affiliated category). The Songwriter of the Year ballot is voted on by professional members of the Academy in the following categories; Artist-Entertainer/Musician-Bandleader-Instrumentalist, Composer, Music Publisher/PRO, Record Company, and the Producer/Engineer/Studio Manager subcategory (contained within the Affiliated category).

SPECIAL AWARDS

Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award
Emmylou Harris, Billy Sherrill, Ricky Skaggs and Dwight Yoakam have been chosen to receive the Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award honoring individuals who are pioneers in the country music genre.

Emmylou Harris brought a graceful delivery, beautiful harmonies and a wealth of exceptional material to her career in country music. Harris was discovered at a nightclub in Washington D.C., then provided her signature vocals to Gram Parsons’ seminal recordings. On her own, she arrived on the country charts in 1975. Over the next decade, she racked up 21 Top 10 singles, including five No. 1 hits. The Trio album with talented friends Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt earned the 1987 ACM Award for Album of the Year. Harris was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008.

Billy Sherrill produced many of country’s most famous names and wrote numerous classics throughout the 1960s and 1970s. The Alabama native joined Epic Records in 1964, where his credits as both a producer and songwriter included David Houston’s “Almost Persuaded,” Charlie Rich’s “The Most Beautiful Girl” and Tammy Wynette’s “Stand By Your Man.” He also served as a producer on George Jones’ “He Stopped Loving Her Today” (which earned Sherrill an ACM Award for Producer of the Year), as well as Johnny Paycheck’s “She’s All I Got” and Tanya Tucker’s “Delta Dawn.” He joined the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010.

Ricky Skaggs energized country music in the 1980s by taking his traditional sound in a lively new direction. Over that decade, the Kentucky native charted 19 Top 10 singles, including 11 No. 1 hits. Rather than writing his material, he gathered first-rate songs by the likes of Guy Clark, Bill Monroe, Webb Pierce, Mel Tillis and Cindy Walker. He was named the ACM’s 1981 Top New Male Vocalist and received five ACM Awards for Touring Band of the Year. Since that time, Skaggs has focused on bluegrass music and now leads one of the most respected ensembles in the genre.

Dwight Yoakam captured the imagination of traditionalists and new listeners alike by giving hillbilly music a modern twist. Born in Kentucky but based in Los Angeles, Yoakam debuted with a twangy cover of Johnny Horton’s “Honky Tonk Man,” which led him to the ACM’s 1986 Top New Male Vocalist trophy. In all, Yoakam landed 14 Top 10 hits – some he wrote (“I Sang Dixie”) and others he revived (Elvis Presley’s “Little Sister”). Along with acclaimed albums and music videos, Yoakam proudly partnered with Buck Owens on the endearing 1988 duet, “Streets of Bakersfield.” He remains active in music and film.

Past recipients of the Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award include Alabama, Garth Brooks, Johnny Cash, Charlie Daniels, Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Brenda Lee, Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson, The Oak Ridge Boys, Dolly Parton, Charley Pride, Jerry Reed, Tex Ritter, Marty Robbins, Kenny Rogers, Mel Tillis, Randy Travis, Conway Twitty, Porter Wagoner, Hank Williams, Sr., Hank Williams Jr. and Bob Wills, among others.

Crystal Milestone Award

Kenny Chesney, four-time ACM Entertainer of the Year, has sold more than 10,500,000 tickets on his 11 national tours, selling out stadiums across the country. His successful shows have promoted the entire genre to delighted fans while helping other country acts and cross-over artists gain exposure nationwide. The Academy is honoring Kenny for this remarkable achievement.

Past recipients of the Crystal Milestone Award include Garth Brooks and Jennifer Nettles.

Career Achievement Award

Vince Gill has been chosen to receive the Career Achievement Award, which is presented to an individual artist, duo, group or multiple artist collaboration who have advanced the popularity and acceptance of country music through their endeavors in the entertainment industry in multiple areas during the preceding calendar year.

Vince Gill returned to the country scene in 2011 with an appealing new album, Guitar Slinger, and the enthusiastic response proved that he had been missed. Nashville Mayor Karl Dean proclaimed an official Vince Gill Week in conjunction with the album’s release. Gill also served as Grand Marshal of Nashville’s Christmas parade. In addition, Gill and wife Amy Grant graced the cover of Good Housekeeping. Meanwhile, the Country Music Hall of Fame member appeared on multiple talk shows and earned a Grammy nod for “Threaten Me With Heaven.”

Past recipients of the Career Achievement Award include John Anderson, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Johnny Paycheck, Carl Perkins, Reba and Kenny Rogers.

Jim Reeves International Award

Alan Jackson has been chosen to receive the Jim Reeves International Award, which is presented to an individual for outstanding contributions to the acceptance of country music throughout the world.

Alan Jackson’s down-home music and laidback personality has translated well internationally. He played for eager audiences in Sweden and Norway in August 2011, brought back by popular demand following his 2009 shows. Jackson’s album, Good Time, has also earned platinum sales in Norway. Jackson also toured Australia for the first time in March 2011. He’ll play four arena shows in Canada in April 2012, as well as a summer concert at the Craven Country Jamboree in Saskatchewan. Jackson won his first ACM Award as 1990’s Top New Male Vocalist, an honor that coincided with career-building tour dates in the UK and Germany.

Past recipients of the Jim Reeves International Award include Garth Brooks, Dick Clark, Roy Clark, Merv Griffin, Charlie Nagatani, Buck Owens, Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift and Keith Urban, among others. Continue Reading

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Neil Perry, Kimberly Perry and Reid Perry of The Band Perry backstage at The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live! Countdown to Music's Biggest Night at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on November 30, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

Several country stars are in Los Angeles this weekend for the 54^th Annual GRAMMY Awards. Besides being nominated, several artists will take part in the all-genre show as performers and presenters. The GRAMMYs will air live from the Staples Center on Sunday, February 12 at 8/7 CT on CBS. LL Cool J will serve as host.

Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Glen Campbell will perform with Blake Shelton and The Band Perry in what is sure to be a highlight of the night. Blake is nominated for two GRAMMY Awards, including Best Country Solo Performance for “Honey Bee” and Best Country Album for Red River Blue. His No. 1 hit “God Gave Me You,” written by Dave Barnes, is also up for Best Country Song, given to the songwriter. The Band Perry is nominated for the all-genre New Artist of the Year award.

Other country performers include Carrie Underwood with Tony Bennett, Taylor Swift, and Jason Aldean with Kelly Clarkson. Carrie’s “Mama’s Song” is nominated in the Best Country Solo Performance. Taylor is up for three GRAMMY Awards. Her hit “Mean” is nominated for Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Song, while her Speak Now album is up for Best Country Album.

Jason is also up for three GRAMMYs. “Dirt Road Anthem” is nominated in the Best Country Solo Performance category. “Don’t You Wanna Stay,” which he will perform with Kelly Clarkson during the show, is up for Best Country Duo/Group Performance and his My Kinda Party album is in the running for Best Country Album.

Lady Antebellum, Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert and Gwyneth Paltrow will be among the GRAMMY presenters during the show. A special tribute to the late Etta James by Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt will be featured during the telecast, as well as performances by Katy Perry, Adele, Coldplay and Rihanna, Foo Fighters, Bruno Mars, Paul McCartney and Nicki Minaj.

Here is a complete list of all the country categories as well as a few others featuring country stars as nominees:

Best New Artist (all genres)
The Band Perry
Bon Iver
J. Cole
Nicki Minaj
Skrillex

Best Country Solo Performance
“Dirt Road Anthem” — Jason Aldean
“I’m Gonna Love You Through It” — Martina McBride
“Honey Bee” — Blake Shelton
“Mean” — Taylor Swift
“Mama’s Song” — Carrie Underwood Continue Reading

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Gene Watson photo courtesy of Tamara Saviano.

In celebration of 50 years in country music, Gene Watson has re-recorded 25 of his classic hits to sound like the originals. Best of the Best: 25 Greatest Hits will be released February 14 on Gene’s own record label, Fourteen Carat Music, and features legendary steel guitarist Sonny Garish along with a band of players that re-created the original arrangements.

“I wanted these to sound as close to the originals as could be done,” Gene said. “I had to work so hard to capture them the same way I did them originally. All of these songs are in the same keys. I just thank the good Lord above that He’s let me keep my voice intact. In fact, I can probably hit the notes better now than I could back then. Whenever there was a question when I was re-recording these, we went back and listened to the original recording.”

The Watson family, made up of seven children, grew up moving from shack to shack as their father took logging and crop-picking jobs to make ends meet. Home became a converted school bus and Gene dropped out of school in ninth grade to help his family. He settled in Houston, where he developed a local following on the club circuit. Capitol Records picked up “Love in the Hot Afternoon” for distribution after hearing him perform and it became the first of Gene’s two-dozen Top 10 hits in early 1975.

“Seems like my career just kind of happened accidentally,” Gene says. “It was purely unintentional. Music was just a sideline. I was going to be playing and singing no matter what line of work I was going to do. I never did really have any high expectations out of the music business. Even today, I never know what to expect from one day to the next.”

Gene Watson is a survivor. He quit drinking in 1980 and quit smoking in 1990. He underwent surgery and survived colon cancer in 2000-01. Through it all, he continued to record one critically applauded collection after another. He was inducted into the Texas Music Hall of Fame in 2002. Continue Reading

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Country music stars sure love Twitter! This week, Reba pokes fun at a hoax claiming she’d died in Austria, Sarah Buxton comes up with a clever invention, Jake Owen  deals with a tired pup, Little Big Town teases their whereabouts, and proud dad Rhett Akins hears his son, Thomas Rhett, on the radio for the first time. Here are our picks for the Top 10 Country Tweets Of The Week.

Photo courtesy of Twitter.com/reba.

Reba – Reba: The rumors of my Austrian death are greatly exaggerated!

Little Big Town – LBTMusic: Yep, we’re in the studio with Vince Gill right now.

Sarah Buxton – SarahBuxton: Invention: The Crack Flap. Comes up over the back of your pants & covers the inevitable plumbers crack caused by today’s low rise pants.

Photo courtesy of Twitter.com/thebandperry.

The Band Perry - TheBandPerry: Thx Las Vegas for an amazing night!!! Fake Brad Paisley has left the building. (np) Continue Reading

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Photo courtesy of the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum.

When the Encyclopedia of Country Music was first published in 1998, it became an instant reference and definitive source on country music. Now, the second edition of the book has been released by Oxford University Press and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The new edition, compiled by museum staff, features new entries on artists who have profoundly influenced country music in recent years, including Kenny Chesney, Dixie Chicks, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban and more.

More new entries in the book focus on the most important studio musicians, songwriters and music executives in the last decade. It also explores the latest and most critical industry trends, such as the digital revolution, the shifting politics of country music, and the impact of American Idol. The importance of Nashville to country music and even the stage costumes worn by country stars are also featured in the new edition.

“I’ve loved country music all my life, and it still amazes me how much more I can learn about it,” Reba McEntire said. “The Encyclopedia of Country Music will be a reference book for the next generation of country music lovers to learn about the folks I was blessed enough to get to know and work with. I will enjoy reading it and getting reacquainted with our history.” Continue Reading

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Rascal Flatts photo courtesy of Big Machine Records. Photo credit Chapman Baehler.

Rascal Flatts will receive the CRS 2012 Artist Humanitarian Award during Country Radio Seminar on Wednesday, February 22 in Nashville following the event’s keynote address. The band was chosen to receive the honor based on their charitable contributions and humanitarian endeavors throughout their career.

Some of the band’s charitable work includes a donation of $3 million to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt’s Pediatric Surgery Center in 2010; and currently serving as celebrity spokespersons for the national suicide prevention organization and The Jason Foundation. They have been members of the American Red Cross Celebrity Cabinet for the last seven years.

“The board is very pleased to honor Rascal Flatts with the CRS Artist Humanitarian Award,” CRS Executive Director Bill Mayne said. “They join a long, distinguished list of celebrities who have received this prestigious award since it was instated in 1990.” Continue Reading

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Keith Urban photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

Keith Urban’s third annual All for the Hall benefit concert has been rescheduled for April 10 after having to be postponed while Keith underwent and recovered from successful vocal cord surgery. The concert, which benefits the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s All for the Hall fund, will feature performances by Keith, Vince Gill, Alabama, Alison Krauss & Union Station, The Band Perry, Blue Sky Riders, Diamond Rio, Exile, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, The Oak Ridge Boys,  Pistol Annies, Rascal Flatts and Thompson Square.

“My goal for the concert, is really the same as the halls,” Keith said. “To help country fans connect the dots – to find out where their music came from, how its evolved and is still evolving and to hear the artists that have influenced their favorite artists. Country music is like a big beautiful strange family tree and nowhere is that more honored than at the Country Music Hall Of Fame and Museum.”

“The first two We’re All for the Hall concerts have been landmarks for this institution,” said Museum Director Kyle Young.  “They have been the most successful fundraisers in the museum’s history, together raising roughly $1 million.  And they have not only set a new standard for fundraising and event coordination, but also brought together an entire community and helped us to see what can be done by individuals when there is a collective passion for a cause. Continue Reading

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