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Country Music News

By United Press International
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-- THIS WEEKEND IN COUNTRY MUSIC HISTORY


(May 24)

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Bob Dylan born in Duluth, Minn.(1941)

Rosanne Cash born in Memphis, Tenn. (1955)

Dolly Parton's single "Starting Over Again" No. 1 (1980)

Gene Clark, founding member of the Byrds, died, age 46, in Los Angeles (1991)


(May 25)

Tom T. Hall born in Olive Hill, Ky. (1936)

Jessi Colter born (1943) in Phoenix.

LeAnn Rimes' recording of "Blue" hits the charts (1996)


(May 26)

Hank Williams Jr. born (1949) in Shreveport, La.

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's has No. 1 single "Long Hard Road" (1984)

Jimmie Rodgers died in New York City at age 35 (1933)


MUSIC AND MORE


NELSON AND CROW TOGETHER AGAIN

Willie Nelson and Sheryl Crow were back together this week for a taping of "Country Music Crossroads" to air next month on CMT.

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Nelson and Crow began collaborating in 1999 when they were part of a New York City tribute to Johnny Cash, where they sang "Jackson" a Cash classic. But then it was Nelson as Cash and Crow as June Carter Cash. They will reprise that song for the CMT performance, airing June 16.

The Nelson/Crow pairing, taped on a Sony Pictures soundstage, unfolded according to a now-established pattern. The repertoire for the evening included songs from both artists' catalogs and one cover, the Everly Brothers' "Let It Be Me." During a break, host Greg Martin and members of the audience asked questions of the two.

Nelson played an electric guitar throughout the night instead of his battered classical acoustic, dubbed "Trigger."

In the performance the singers each took care to match the other's vocal phrasing, casting sidelong glances at each other throughout their performance.

Of "Let It Be Me," Nelson proclaimed the duo "happy to be resurrecting a great song." He toyed with the familiar phrasing and seemed to challenge Crow to do the same. "It wasn't perfect, but it was tasty," she said after the first take.

Crow and Nelson also took turns singing the verses on Patsy Cline's classic "Crazy," written by Nelson.

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NOT ONLY AWARDS AT CMA

It was not only awards for the country music stars in Los Angeles for the Academy of Country Music awards Wednesday. Several also came away with traffic tickets. Jo Dee Messina eluded a jaywalking ticket in Los Angeles Tuesday while exercising. After looking both ways for traffic, Messina jogged to a median in the street, looked again and crossed the rest of the way. A motorcycle cop nabbed her for jaywalking but let her off the hook because a truck was blocking the Walk/Wait sign. Being in town on business -- she performed "Bring on the Rain" on the ACM Awards -- probably helped her case, too. The guys in McBride and the Ride, who have reunited for the new album "Amarillo Sky," weren't so lucky. Terry McBride, Ray Herndon and Billy Thomas were all ticketed Wednesday for jaywalking.


KASEY CHAMBERS HAS A BOY

Kasey Chambers, whose "Not Pretty Enough" clip airs regularly on CMT, gave birth to a healthy baby boy Wednesday in Australia, where she lives. She and partner Cori Hopper named the baby Talon Jordan Hopper.


ALLAN ALMOST A NO-SHOW FOR AWARD PRESENTATION

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Gary Allan almost didn't make it to the stage to present top new female vocalist with Jamie O'Neal at the Academy of Country Music awards ceremony Wednesday. Dress rehearsal ran long in the afternoon. When it became clear Allan would not have time to rehearse the presentation, producers sent him home to change into his fancy duds. Trying to make it back in time, however, his white stretch limo got caught in traffic. When he finally arrived, handlers ran him to the stage with barely a moment to spare. The presentation of the Best New Female Vocalist award to Carolyn Dawn Johnson came off without a hitch.

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