Country Music News

TODAY IN COUNTRY MUSIC HISTORY

(Fri., Jan. 18)

Bobby Goldsboro was born in 1941.

Mark Collie was born in 1956.

"Smilin'" Eddie Hill died in 1994.

MORE COUNTRY MUSIC HISTORY FOR THIS WEEKEND:

(Sat., Jan. 19)

Record producer Ken Nelson, a founding member of the CMA, was born in 1911.

Oscar Sullivan of the comedy team Lonzo and Oscar was born in 1919.

Stu Phillips was born in 1933.

Charlie Waller, a founding member of the Country Gentlemen, was born in 1935.

Phil Everly, one-half of the Everly Brothers, was born in 1939.

Dolly Parton was born in 1946.

Marty Robbins debuted on the Grand Ole Opry in 1953.

Stephanie Davis was born in 1958.

Ralph Peer, a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, died at age 67 in 1960.

Jimmy Carter's presidential inaugural festivities included a concert that featured, among other artists, Loretta Lynn in 1977.

Songwriter Vic McAlpin died in 1980.

Charlie Pride was among the entertainers at Ronald Reagan's presidential inauguration in 1981.

Reba McEntire made her movie debut in "Tremors" in 1990.

Rockabilly pioneer Carl Perkins died in 1998 of complications from three strokes he'd suffered in the previous two months. He was 5.

(Sun. Jan. 20)

Yodeling country singer Otis "Slim" Whitman was born in 1924.

John Michael Montgomery was born in 1965.

Flatt & Scruggs played at President Nixon's inauguration in 1969.

Jerry Lee Lewis debuted at the Grand Ole Opry in 1973. He played "Great Balls of Fire" and other rock tunes over the objections of Opry officials.

A UNICEF benefit at the Savoy in New York City featured Charlie Daniels, among others, in 1982.

Grand Ole Opry announcer Ott Devine died in 1984.

Mike Snider debuted on the Grand Ole Opry, also in 1984.

MUSIC AND MORE

'REBA' PICKED UP FOR ANOTHER SEASON

Reba McEntire's sitcom, "Reba," has been picked up for a second season by The WB network.

"In Reba, we have the crossover hit comedy we've been working toward for six years, and Reba McEntire has proven herself to be a natural television star with impeccable comic timing," Jordan Levin, president of The WB's entertainment division, said in a statement reported by country.com.

Last Sunday, McEntire earned a People's Choice Award for favorite female performer in a new TV series.

CLINT BLACK HOSTS TELETHON FOR VICTIMS OF ALLISON

Clint Black will host a telethon to benefit the victims of last summer's Tropical Storm Allison.

Country.com reports the One Houston United Telethon Concert, at Enron Field on Jan. 26, will also feature special appearances by Lisa Hartman Black, Rodney Crowell, Destiny's Child, the Beach Boys, La Mafia and Joe Sample.

Black recently visited some of the homes damaged by the storm. "Like a lot of Houstonians, I thought by now the situation had worked itself out," he said on his Web site. "People are living in conditions hard to accept. It's almost impossible to manage our emotions. It's not just homes but lives that need to be rebuilt."

The telethon will air on several Houston TV stations.

WILLIE NELSON'S LATEST CD

Even the most avid Willie Nelson fan would have a hard time remembering just how many albums the country icon has put out over his long career. He has had more than 70 do so well they hit the country album charts.

Now his latest, "The Great Divide (Lost Highway)," is on music store shelves this week. The news provider country.com says it's an eclectic compilation with a variety of motifs and textures. That means it's the kind of compact disc that Nelson's fans have come to expect.

During the past decade or so, Nelson has expanded his catalog, proving that his one-of-a-kind voice lends itself not only to country songs but to old standards and Broadway ballads. Nelson's latest effort includes several duos with the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Lee Ann Womack and Sheryl Crow.

(Thanks to UPI Feature Reporter Dennis Daily)