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Country Music News

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

(Fri., Feb.22)

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Jesse Ashlock, an original member of the Texas Playboys, was born in 1915.

Del Wood was born in 1920.

Dave Hanner of Corbin/Hanner was born in 1949.

Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel" entered the charts and began its rise to the top in 1956.

Flatt and Scruggs performed for the last time on the Grand Ole Opry in 1969.

B.J. Thomas' "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song" debuted on the chart in 1975.


MORE MUSIC HISTORY FOR THIS WEEKEND

(Sat., Feb 23)

Rusty Young of Poco was born in 1946.

Gene Autry's Top 5 single "Silver Spurs (On The Golden Stairs)" made its debut on the chart, also in 1946.

Johnnie and Jack's Top 5 single "Poison Love" first appeared on the chart in 1951.

Eddy Arnold's Top 10 single "Call Her Your Sweetheart" first charted in 1952.

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Porter Wagoner joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1957.

Charley Pride's albums "Charley Pride's 10th Album," "Charley Pride in Person" and "Just Plain Charley" were certified gold in 1971.

Roy Newman died at age 81 in 1981.


(Sun., Feb.24)

"Little" Roy Lewis, banjo player for the Lewis Family, was born in 1942.

Eddy Arnold's Top 10 single "May The Good Lord Bless And Keep You" made its first chart appearance in 1951.

Ray Price's Top 5 single "I'll Be There" debuted on the chart in 1954.

Sammy Kershaw was born in 1958.

Johnny Cash recorded his live album, "Johnny Cash at SanQuentin," in 1969.

Lee William Allen of the Allen Brothers died at age 74 in 1981.

Webb Pierce died at age 69 in 1991.

The U.S. Postal Service unveiled two versions of its proposed Elvis Presley stamp in 1992. The first one showed a young 1950s Elvis and the second a '70s Las Vegas-era Elvis. The fans would get to vote on which one would be issued in 1993 as part of the "Legends of America" music series. They picked the young Elvis.


MUSIC AND MORE

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JENNINGS MEMORIAL PLANNED

The music world is planning a huge memorial to the late Waylon Jennings. The Ryman Auditorium says it will hold the remembrance on the night of March 23. The memorial is still early in the planning stages and no official lineup has been announced.

Recent graveside services in Arizona were very private, with only the immediate family and Hank Williams Jr., Travis Tritt and Marty Stuart in attendance. The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to a fund started by Jennings to provide students with scholarships in music.


RIMES' LAWSUIT SETTLED

That well-publicized lawsuit between singer LeAnn Rimes and her father, Wilbur, has been settled. The Tennessean newspaper reports that because of this, Rimes' father and mother (Wilbur and Belinda) have now decided to walk their 19-year-old daughter down the aisle at this week's wedding.

The younger Rimes had accused her dad and a business partner of stealing some of her earnings -- $7 million. LeAnn recently settled another lawsuit that she had brought against a former bodyguard and Curb Records. Most recently, she has been working with producer Desmond Child on a new project. Now that the suit against Curb has been settled it's assumed the label will print and distribute the CDs.

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(The above two items thanks to UPI's Dennis Daily)


'ALL STAR BLUEGRASS CELEBRATION'

"There was a magic of the music that night." Ricky Skaggs obviously is awestruck when discussing the television special he hosted at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville in mid-January. The one-hour show, "All Star Bluegrass Celebration," will air beginning Sunday on PBS stations throughout the United States. The line-up included Vince Gill, Patty Loveless, Ralph Stanley, Earl Scruggs, Alison Krauss, Nickel Creek, Travis Tritt, Bruce Hornsby and the Del McCoury Band.

A corresponding CD, "Ricky Skaggs & Friends Sing the Songs of Bill Monroe," which features several of the artists who performed on the television special, will hit the stores early next week.

(Thanks to UPI's Crystal Caviness in Nashville)


BROOKS & DUNN, ZZ TOP

The latest musical genre-bending pairing on "CMT Crossroads" teams Brooks & Dunn with Texas boogie rock trio ZZ Top. Country.com reports the episode will be taped March 3 in front of a small audience in a studio located in the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville and air April 21 as the third installment in the series.

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"Ron (Dunn) and I have been huge ZZ Top fans since even before we were together," Kix Brooks said in a statement. The two acts met earlier this week in Houston to figure out their plans for the show. "(The) pre-production was a lot of laughs, but we can't wait to get into making music," Brooks added. "Now that's gonna be a dream."

ZZ Top performed at the Houston Rodeo Thursday, marking the trio's first major concert appearance since singer-bassist Dusty Hill was diagnosed with hepatitis C in May 2000.

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