NEWS I watched portions of the 59th Annual CMA Awards, which aired live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on November 19 on ABC-TV. My favorite part was seeing Vince Gill presented with the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award. The segment began with the announcement that Brandi Carlile would sing “When I Call Your Name.” The song […]
NEWS For her first time ever, Reba McEntire will present and sing at the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting in New York City. NBC will broadcast the two-hour special, Christmas in Rockefeller Center, on December 3 at 8 p.m. ET. This year’s event, held annually since 1931, features a 75-foot Norway Spruce adorned with tens […]
NEWS A three-hour ceremony of songs and ovations honored the 156th, 157th, and 158th members of the Country Music Hall of Fame as they were inducted during an invitation-only Medallion Ceremony on October 19 in the museum’s CMA Theater. iHeart.com reports that George Strait made a surprise appearance to honor record producer Tony Brown, who was […]
CO-ED COMBAT: The New Evidence That Women Shouldn’t Fight the Nation’s Wars By Kingsley Browne Reviewed June 18, 2008 “Much of men’s motivation to fight comes from their appreciation of the link between warfare and masculinity,” Kingsley Browne states in Co-Ed Combat, “and disruption of that link is likely to diminish their motivation.” Allowing women to […]
NEWS When Kathy Mattea was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry this past Saturday evening, she sang “Eighteen Wheels and A Dozen Roses,” with Terri Clark, Trisha Yearwood, and Suzy Bogguss as her harmony singers. She interrupted the song to say that, as the newest member of the Opry, she had already been given her […]
NEWS Nashville singer/songwriter Brett James, 57, died September 18 when his Cirrus SR22T went down in a field in Franklin, North Carolina, around 3 p.m. His wife, Melody Carole, and stepdaughter, Meryl Maxwell Wilson, 28, also died in the crash. There were no survivors, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement. Flight records showed […]
REMEMBERING MARTY ROBBINS Martin David Robinson was born at 9:55 PM on Saturday, September 26, 1925, five minutes before his twin sister, Mamie Ellen. They joined the family of Jack and Emma Robinson and five children. The Robinson family lived a nomadic existence. Jack’s attempts to provide for his growing family were hampered by his […]
IN THE SPOTLIGHT – STEVE DORFF In my last newsletter, I talked about I Wrote That One, Too…, the 2017 memoir by Steve Dorff. I mentioned I’m trying to get in touch with Steve to learn about scoring the music for a movie. One of my newsletter readers connected us, and I had an enjoyable […]
NEWS A memorial service for Jeannie Seely, who died August 1 at age 85, was held August 14 at the Grand Ole Opry House. Billed as “Jeannie Seely’s 5,398th Opry Show,” it was hosted by 650 AM WSM and Grand Ole Opry personalities Mike Terry, Bill Cody, Charlie Mattos and Kelly Sutton. Among the many performances was a […]
BOOK REVIEW – DOLLY PARTON: JOURNEY OF A SEEKER Dolly Parton: Journey of a Seeker is the title of an extensive exhibition that opened May 20, 2025, at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. It is also the title of this companion book, which was created by the staff of […]