Country Music News

TODAY IN COUNTRY MUSIC HISTORY

(Friday, Feb. 21)

Mary-Chapin Carpenter born in Princeton, N.J., 1958.

Hank Williams' No. 1 single "Kaw-Liga" is charted 1953.

Ray Whitley dies at 77, 1979.

Boxcar Willie joins Grand Ole Opry, 1981.

Jimmie Rodgers records "Any Old Time" and "Desert Blues," 1929.

Jim Eanes records "Baby Blue Eyes," 1949.

Johnnie and Jack records No. 1 single, "(Oh Baby Mine) I Get So Lonely," 1954.

(Saturday, Feb. 22)

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

Del Wood born in Nashville, 1920.

Flatt and Scruggs' final Grand Ole Opry performance, 1969.

B.J. Thomas' "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song" is charted, 1975.

Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys record their first sides for Rebel Records, 1971.

Pam Tillis celebrates her first No. 1 single, "Don't Tell Me What To Do," in 1991.

Chris LeDoux earns first gold album with "Whatcha Gonna Do With A Cowboy," 1993.

(Sunday, Feb. 23)

Rusty Young of Poco born in Long Beach, Calif., 1946.

Porter Wagoner joins Grand Ole Opry, 1957.

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

Kenny Rogers and Crystal Gayle among the winners at the Grammy Awards, 1978.

Barbara Mandrell tops charts with "Years," 1980.

Hank Williams Jr.'s "Born To Boogie" album goes platinum, 1988.

Alabama, Willie Nelson and Juice Newton Grammy Award winners, 1983.

Sara Evans' "No Place That Far" goes gold, 2000.

Shania Twain and the Dixie Chicks win two Grammy awards each, 2000.

Lonestar's "Lonely Grill" album goes double platinum, 2000.

MUSIC AND MORE

DIXIE CHICKS UNVEIL TOUR PLANS

The Dixie Chicks hit the road on May 1 on their Top of the World tour, which will take them to 60 North American cities before several stops in Europe and Australia.

The trio, in New York for Sunday's Grammy Awards ceremony, called a news conference in Central Park Thursday to disclose plans for their first tour in three years.

"I think it takes the time off from touring to get you ready to go back on the road," Emily Robison said. "We're hungry to get back out there..."

The shows will be performed center-arena style, or in the round, with opening acts to be announced at a later date, according to a news release.

The Dixie Chicks' tour in 2000 grossed $47 million. Tickets for most North American shows go on sale at 10 a.m. EST March 1.

STRAIT'S NEW ALBUM DEBUTS AT NO. 2 ON COUNTRY CHART

George Strait's "For The Last Time: Live From The Astrodome" has debuted at No. 2 on Billboard's country albums chart while Vince Gill's "Next Big Thing" checked in at No. 4 after its first week.

Strait's album started at No. 7 on the all-genre Billboard 200 with Gill coming in at No. 14.

"Home" by the Dixie Chicks held onto the No. 1 spot, Shania Twain's "Up!" stayed at No. 3 and "Tim McGraw And The Dancehall Doctors" remained in the fifth position.

Faith Hill's "Cry" jumped from No. 8 to No. 6, "The Dreamer" by Blake Shelton plunged from its No. 2 debut spot to seventh, "Elv1s: 30 #1 Hits" fell to No. 9 and Alabama's "In The Mood: The Love Songs" is No. 10.

BLAKE'S SINGLE HOLDS ONTO NO. 1

"The Baby" by Blake Shelton is No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Singles and Tracks chart for the second consecutive week, one notch ahead of Mark Wills' "19 Somethin'."

"I Just Wanna Be Mad" by Terri Clark is No. 3, with "Man To Man" by Gary Allan and "You Can't Hide Beautiful" by Aaron Lines in the fourth and fifth spots.

Rounding out the Top 10: "Travelin' Soldier," the Dixie Chicks; "Brokenheartsville," Joe Nichols; "I Wish You'd Stay," Brad Paisley; "That'd Be Alright," Alan Jackson; "Chrome," Trace Adkins.

FORMER MANAGER SAYS PAYCHECK DIED OF EMPHYSEMA

A friend and former manager of Johnny Paycheck says the country singer died of emphysema, according to the Nashville Tennessean.

Glenn Ferguson says Paycheck had been shuttled between nursing homes and hospital intensive care units until he died early Wednesday at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Paycheck recorded 70 albums and had more than 20 hit singles but was best known for his 1977 smash that became a working-man's anthem, "Take This Job and Shove It." Paycheck was 64.