This week we remember Marty Robbins, who would have celebrated his 94^th birthday tomorrow.

RANDY TRAVIS RESEARCH TRIP

My big news is that I signed a contract with the University of Illinois Press to write my third biography. The subject is Randy Travis. To begin the research, I headed east with my sister, Lorraine “Kayo” Paver. We spent several days with Kayo’s son and family, Casey and Becky Paver, in Concord, North Carolina. When we drove to Randy’s hometown of Marshville, we saw the welcome sign with his name on it.

NEWS

The 53rd CMA Awards show will be held November 13. For the first time since the Musician of the Year category was added in 1988, there is a female nominee. Fiddle player Jenee Fleenor, a member of Blake Shelton’s band, was nominated along with guitarist Mac McAnally (who has won 10 of the last 11 years), Ilya Toshinsky, Paul Franklin, and Derek Wells. “I just broke down in tears,” Jenee told The Tennessean. “It’s been a dream of mine since I knew what the CMAs were, to be named with all of my peers and heroes.” The Arkansas native moved to Nashville in 2001, immediately after high school graduation, and quickly joined Larry Cordle and Lonesome Standard Time. In Blake’s band, she contributes fiddle, guitar, mandolin and background vocals, as well as writing songs. “The first time I stepped in the studio was when I was about 11 years old,” she says. “I’ll never forget that sound. Those headphones, and the way my fiddle sounded. I was like, ‘I want to do this.'” (more…)