Country Music News

TODAY IN COUNTRY MUSIC HISTORY

(Thurs., April 11)

Harty Taylor -- of the popular WLS radio duo Karl & Harty -- was born in 1905.

Millie Good of The Girls of the Golden West duo was born in 1913.

Stanley Bros. guitarist George Shuffler was born in 1925.

The Jordanaires joined Elvis Presley in the studio for the first time, singing backup on "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You," in 1956.

Jim Lauderdale was born in 1957.

Alabama signed with RCA Records in 1980.

"Cousin Emmy," a.k.a. Cynthia May Carver, died in 1980 at age 77.

Roy Acuff was inducted into the Broadcasting Hall of Fame by the National Association of Broadcasters in 1988.

Hank Williams Jr.'s "Greatest Hits III" album was certified gold in 1989.

Faith Hill joined pop stars Mariah Carey, Donna Summer and Destiny's Child on stage for "VH1 Divas 2000: A Tribute to Diana Ross" at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York in 2000.

MUSIC AND MORE

JEFFERSON AIRPLANE/HOT TUNA GUITARIST GOES COUNTRY

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and guitarist Jorma Kaukonen of Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna fame will release an album of early country songs on June 11.

"Blue Country Heart" is Kaukonen's first for Columbia Records, CMT.com reports. It was recorded at Masterlink Studio in Nashville during a four-day period in January. Guest artists on the album include Nashville acoustic aces Sam Bush (mandolin), Jerry Douglas (Dobro) and Byron House (bass). Banjo specialist Bela Fleck also appears on two tracks.

In a news release, Kaukonen, 61, said he played old-time country music and early bluegrass when he first started on the guitar. He added that while the new recording has a "bluegrass flavor" because of the backgrounds of the Nashville players, "it's not bluegrass in a strict, traditional sense. It's a lot of this singer-songwriter stuff from the Depression era that has stuck with us over time."

Artists represented on the album include Jimmie Rodgers, former Louisiana Gov. Jimmie Davis, the Delmore Brothers and Cliff Carlisle.

Kaukonen was a founding member of the seminal rock group Jefferson Airplane. With bassist Jack Casady, he started Hot Tuna as a side project and they released the first album under that name in 1970, while both were still members of Jefferson Airplane. Hot Tuna, a favorite with jam band fans, remains active today.