TODAY IN COUNTRY MUSIC HISTORY
(June 13)
Charley Pride's "Wonder Could I Live There Anymore" goes to No. 1 (1970)
Kenny Rogers and Dottie West's "What Are We Doin' in Love" hits No. 1 (1981)
Bob Atcher, Randy Atcher and Bonnie Blue Eyes make the first recording of "Cool Water" (1940)
MUSIC AND MORE
CHESNEY TAKES DOUBLE AT FLAMEWORTHY
Kenny Chesney was the fan favorite Wednesday at the premiere Flameworthy Video Music Awards show in Nashville, as the only performer to capture two awards.
Fans voted for the winners during the two-hour show, capping a series of votes over the past months.
Chesney was named top male video star and winner of the Video of the Year award for "Young."
"I wasn't really prepared for this," Chesney told cheering fans at the Gaylord Center. "Every night, I go out on stage and hear the cheers and the crowds like that. They give me one of these every night."
The show was hosted by actress Kathy Najimy and it opened with a clip of her character from FOX TV's "King of the Hill" the ultra country fan Peggy Hill.
Martina McBride took the female video artist of the year award with "Blessed" and Chely Wright was hailed as the Fashion Plate Video queen, a first for country music awards.
Tim McGraw's "The Cowboy in Me" was named the hottest video of the year and Toby Keith's "I Wanna Talk About Me" was named Flameworthy "lol" (laugh out loud) video of the year. The clip's director, Malcolm Salomon, was dubbed director of the year.
The Dixie Chicks received the first Flameworthy Video Visionary Award, presented by actor Billy Campbell, and later debuted their new video, "Long Time Gone," at a post-awards show party.
The two-hour show was interspersed with musical numbers from countless country stars.
SOME WRIGHT STUFF
Chely Wright held her second annual benefit for her Reading, Writing and Rhythm Foundation Tuesday at the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville. Wright raised over $100,000 for the foundation, which supports public school music education. Backing Wright were Gary Allan, Steve Azar, Diamond Rio, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Tommy Shane Steiner, Cyndi Thomson and Keith Urban.
But Wright also got a surprise when Loretta Lynn walked onto the stage to serenade her with "Coal Miner's Daughter." By the time Wright got over her shock, actress Sissy Spacek, who won an Academy Award for portraying Lynn in the 1980 film showed up. The three women wrapped their arms around each other and finished the classic song together.
Wright said, "I can die now. I can absolutely die." Lynn went on to compliment Wright's song "Jezebel," saying its style fits the songs she has written and recorded herself.
KENNY ROGERS UNVEILS PHOTO EXHIBIT
To celebrate his second book of photography, "This Is My Country," Kenny Rogers has lent more than a dozen black-and-white portraits of famous country stars to the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. The exhibit runs through Dec. 31. "I've always said there are three ways you can shoot a person, and when you look at these pictures you can decide for yourself," Rogers said at the opening on Tuesday. "You can shoot them in a way they see themselves, in a way the public sees them or in a way they've never been seen before."
