Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe TODAY IN COUNTRY MUSIC HISTORY (Thursday, Nov. 28) Advertisement WSM Barn Dance, which later became the Grand Ole Opry, makes radio debut, 1925. Roy Acuff begins six-week tour of Alaska, 1954. Kristine Arnold of the Sweethearts of the Rodeo born in Manhattan Beach, Calif., 1958. Jimmie Rodgers' widow, Carrie, dies, 1961. Willie Nelson debuts as a member of the Grand Ole Opry, 1964. MUSIC AND MORE SHANIA'S 'UP!' STARTS AT THE TOP Shania Twain's new "Up!" album has debuted at the top of Billboard's all-genre 200 chart. The album's quick rise was fueled by sales of 874,000 in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. This year those figures are second only to rapper Eminem's "The Eminem Show," which logged sales of 1.3 million, Billboard said. PAISLEY'S THANKSGIVING BREAK BUSY Brad Paisley says he'll enjoy having some time off from touring over the Thanksgiving holiday. Now that he's engaged to actress Kimberly Williams (ABC's "According to Jim"), he'll have to juggle time with two families. "How we're going to do that, with family in New York, and West Virginia, and Nashville, and L.A., so here we go," he tells LAUNCH. "If you have any advice, please let me know how to do it." Advertisement Paisley, headliner of the CMT Most Wanted Tour, resumes that road trip with a show in Tulsa, Okla., on Dec. 5. MARTINA LAUNCHES HOLIDAY TOUR This week marks the start of Martina McBride's 17-city holiday tour, "The Joy of Christmas." It's quite a production -- a multi-media event complete with special effects and 10 actors who play multiple roles in a series of live action scenes, from Santa's workshop to a bustling street scene, McBride's Web site says. McBride will sing songs of the season, many from her 1998 "White Christmas" album. "I was inspired by the Christmas productions put on at New York's Radio City Music Hall," Martina says. "We go every year and just love it."
