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Country Music News

By PENNY NELSON BARTHOLOMEW, United Press International
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TODAY IN COUNTRY MUSIC HISTORY

(Fri., March 1)

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Tommy Jarrell was born in 1901.

Cliffie Stone was born in 1917.

Arleen Harden was born in 1945.

Eddy Arnold's No.1 single, "What Is Life Without Love?", debuted on the charts in 1947.

Uncle Dave Macon made his last Grand Ole Opry appearance in 1952.

Janis Gill was born in 1954.

Jimmy Fortune of the Statler Brothers was born in 1955.

Davis Daniel was born in 1961.

Jennifer McCarter was born in 1964.

Clinton Gregory was born in 1966.

Johnny Cash married June Carter in 1968.

Barbara Mandrell signed her first major label contract, with Columbia, in 1969.

Then-California Gov. Ronald Reagan pardoned Merle Haggard in 1972. The singer had served time in San Quentin Prison in the late 1950s for attempted burglary.

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PBS television aired "Live From The Grand Ole Opry" in 1980.

Pearl Butler died at age 60 in 1988.

"The Real Patsy Cline" long-form video was certified gold and Hank Williams Jr.'s "Full Access" long-form video was certified platinum in 1991.


MORE COUNTRY MUSIC HISTORY FOR THIS WEEKEND

(Sat., March 2)

Doc Watson was born in 1923.

Larry Stewart was born in 1959.

Jim & Jesse McReynolds joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1964.

Kris Kristofferson and Rita Cooledge were among the artists performing at the Havana Jam -- a three-day music festival -- which opened in Cuba in 1979.

The Whites joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1984.

Rockabilly pioneer Roy Hall died at age 61, also in 1984.

Gary Morris' single "Baby Bye Bye" topped the charts in 1985.

The "Trio" album featuring Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt was released in 1987.

Garth Brooks and Alan Jackson each received five nominations for the 27th annual Academy of Country Music Awards in 1992.

Billy Ray Cyrus, Garth Brooks, Brooks and Dunn, and Mary Chapin Carpenter topped the list of nominees for the 28th annual Academy of Country Music Awards in 1993.

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(Sun., March 3)

Jimmy Heap was born in 1922.

Buffalo Springfield formed in 1966.

Elvis Presley made his first-ever television appearance -- on the regional country show the "Louisiana Hayride" -- in 1955.

PBS television aired a live Grand Ole Opry telecast in 1979.

Waylon Jennings' "What Goes Around" album was certified gold in 1980.

Exile had its first No.1 country hit "Woke Up in Love" in 1984.

Boudleaux and Felice Bryant were inducted into The National Songwriter's Hall Of Fame in New York City in 1986.


MUSIC AND MORE


BROOKS & DUNN: HUMANITARIANS

The Country Radio Broadcasters honored Brooks & Dunn with its Artist Humanitarian Award during the opening ceremony of the 33rd annual Country Radio Seminar Thursday morning at the Nashville Convention Center.

Collin Raye, last year's recipient, presented Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn their awards, CMT.com reports.

Raye applauded the duo for performing countless benefit concerts for a number of good causes. He introduced a video clip that showed Brooks & Dunn's involvement with the Red Cross flood relief efforts in St. Louis, Vanderbilt Children's Hospital in Nashville and other charitable organizations.

"This is really important, it really is," Brooks said accepting the award. "Thank you very much. Not to sound trite, but we do try to be quiet with a lot of our giving. At the same time, it is good to inspire others to be charitable because there are a lot of great causes that need help."

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Dunn said helping others brings him as much reward as his musical achievements. "As lucky as we have been to achieve success and maintain the longevity we have in this business," he said, "the times that we have been most humbled is when we have the opportunity to give."

Trace Adkins performed the national anthem during the opening session of CRS 2002. More than 3000 radio professionals are expected to attend the four-day convention.


'DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN' HITS THE ROAD AGAIN

On the heels of the five Grammy Award wins for the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack, as well as the sold-out success of the "Down From the Mountain" winter tour, the Coen Brothers and Grammy-winning Producer of the Year T. Bone Burnett have announced a summer tour.

The five-week road trip highlighting the music from the film will kick off June 25. Dates will be announced shortly.

The talent lineup will include Alison Krauss & Union Station, Emmylou Harris, Patty Loveless, Ralph Stanley, The Del McCoury Band, Norman & Nancy Blake, Ricky Skaggs, Dan Tyminski, The Nashville Bluegrass Band, The Whites and Jerry Douglas. The concerts will include individual as well as collective performances.

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The first leg of the tour -- which ran Jan. 25-Feb.20 -- stopped in 17 cities from Lexington, Ky., to San Francisco.

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