Country Music News

TODAY IN COUNTRY MUSIC HISTORY

(Tuesday, Dec. 3)

Ferlin Husky born near Flat River, Mo., 1927.

Paul Gregg of Restless Heart, born in Altus, Okla., 1954.

Bob Wills' last recording session takes place in Dallas, 1973.

Kenny Rogers' "What About Me" earned him his 11th platinum album, 1984.

MUSIC AND MORE

ALAN LEADS BILLBOARD AWARD NODS

Alan Jackson, the big winner of this year's CMA Awards, leads the Billboard country music awards nominations with four.

Jackson is up for male artist, country singles artist of the year, best album and single for "Drive."

Garth Brooks, Kenny Chesney and Toby Keith also get the nod for best male artist while Sara Evans, Faith Hill, Martina McBride and Jo Dee Messina vie for top female honors.

For best album, Jackson faces Brooks' "Scarecrow," "Home" by the Dixie Chicks and the "O' Brother Where Art Thou" soundtrack.

Chesney's "The Good Stuff," Steve Holy's "Good Morning Beautiful" and "Living and Living Well" by George Strait also are nominated for single of the year.

Brooks, Keith and Tim McGraw also received nominations for country singles artist of the year.

Country Duo/Group of the Year nominations go to Brooks & Dunn, the Dixie Chicks, Lonestar and Rascal Flatts.

TWAIN HATES GOING ON THE ROAD

Shania Twain, whose new album debuted at No. 1 and sold nearly a million copies in its first week, says she has never been fond of touring.

"I never burned to perform, and I don't care if I ever perform again," Twain tells Time magazine.

"UP!" sold 872,000 units in its first week, says Billboard, citing figures from Nielsen SoundScan. It debuted at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 and Billboard's country album chart last week.

Numbers like that would support predictions the 37-year-old Twain might become the first woman with three 10-million sellers. Her 1997 smash, "Come On Over," sold 19 million, more than any other female artist.

TRITT, CHARLES TOGETHER IN SPECIAL

Fellow Georgians Ray Charles and Travis Tritt will perform together on December's CMT Crossroads starting Friday.

Tritt says it's great to work with someone with such a powerful influence on his work, and Charles says Tritt writes great songs and he loves how he sings.

Charles and Tritt perform "Georgia on My Mind," "I'm Movin' On," "Between an Old Memory and Me" and several other tunes on the show.