Country Music News

TODAY IN COUNTRY MUSIC HISTORY

(Monday, Jan. 20)

Slim Whitman born in Tampa, Fla., 1924.

John Michael Montgomery born in Danville, Ky., 1965.

Flatt & Scruggs play at President Richard Nixon's inauguration, 1969.

The Charlie Daniels Band performs at Jimmy Carter's inauguration, 1977.

Jerry Lee Lewis debuts on Grand Ole Opry, 1973.

Mike Snider debuts on Grand Ole Opry, 1984.

Wynnona's self-titled debut album hits four-million mark, 1995.

Reba McEntire tops charts with "'Til You Love Me," 1995.

The Dixie Chicks' "Wide Open Spaces" reaches top of Billboard's country album chart, just a week shy of the first anniversary of the album's release, 1999.

MUSIC AND MORE

TOBY TRASHES GRAMMYS

Toby Keith, who did not receive a Grammy Award nomination, doesn't really care. He tells the Nashville Tennessean TV coverage of the Grammys has treated country music like an "ugly stepchild," reiterating his previous statements that the annual awards show gives the genre limited time.

He also doesn't like Grammy nominators' trend of putting up acts that music critics like instead of fan favorites.

"You didn't hear about it on the radio, you didn't see it on (album sales monitor) SoundScan, all of a sudden someone's nominated," Keith says. "The hell with it. It doesn't matter."

DIRT BAND TAPING PBS SPECIAL

Next week the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band will tape a TV special marking their "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" series.

Vince Gill, Rosanne Cash and Alison Krauss join the band Jan. 27 at the Grand Ole Opry House, CMT.com reports.

The special, to be aired on PBS later this year, also will feature Del, Robbie and Ronnie McCoury, Earl and Randy Scruggs, John Hiatt, Matraca Berg, Iris Dement, Jerry Douglas and Vassar Clements.

GILL, OTHER COUNTRY STARS UP FOR GOSPEL AWARDS

Vince Gill is among the country stars nominated for the Gospel Music Association's Dove Awards to be handed out in Nashville April 10.

Gill is up for his work with his wife, Amy Grant, on "The River's Gonna Keep On Rolling" from her "Legacy...Hymns & Faith" album.

Nominated for Dove Country Album of the Year award are Randy Travis for "Rise And Shine," the Oak Ridge Boys on "An Inconvenient Christmas" and Charlie Daniels on "How Sweet The Sound."