3/28/01 courtesy of "Abbey" abluvmus@earthlink.net from countryqueens@yahoogroups.com
LOVELESS RETURNS TO
BIRTHPLACE OF "LONELINESS"
When Patty Loveless was
barely in her teens she used to sit on Kentucky hillsides near her home and sing a
hauntingly soulful song she had written. She'd listen to its sound reverberate through the
hollers and dream of a life beyond the hills making records. The song is "The Sounds
of Loneliness," one that appeared on her debut album in 1985 that made a lot of
people fans of her music (including this reporter). MORE: Patty is set to sing it again
for the soundtrack of "Songcatcher," an independent film about a woman going
into the hollers of Appalachia to document folk music at the roots level. "That song
has been with me throughout my career," Loveless says. "It was my father's very
favorite thing I ever wrote, and he used to ask me to sing it for him in the kitchen. It
opened doors for me when I was 14 -- and it was part of my very first album. It is a song
that came literally out of the hollers where I grew up, so it seemed like the perfect
fit for this project." Other women appearing on the project include Dolly Parton,
Rosanne Cash, Emmylou Harris, Deana Carter Gillian Welch, Maria McKee, Iris Dement, Hazel
Dickens and Emme Rosen, one of the film's stars. (Nashville Update)
3/28/01 courtesy of "Abbey" abluvmus@earthlink.net from countryqueens@yahoogroups.com
JESSICA ANDREWS BECOMES A
"GOLDEN GIRL" WITH WHO I AM
Jessica Andrews may be the
tender age of 18, but she's celebrating a very "grown up" kind of success. Few
artists have their albums certified gold in a month, and Jessica's latest album, Who I Am,
has done it after only 3 weeks! Jessica says she looks at the album as an exploration of
her style, especially its, quote, "more mature and more aggressive feel." She adds, quote, "Now, I know a little more about what
works and what doesn't. She
credits that sound to the songwriters and says she's just thankful to have so many great
tunes included on the album. Jessica also says she can't wait to get out on the road and
perform her new songs live. She'll have plenty of chances to do that when she hosts and
performs at the upcoming Sizzlin' Country show to benefit Cystic Fibrosis on May 8th.
Jessica is also looking forward to her tour this summer with Billy Gilman. (T-100)
3/07/01 courtesy of "Abbey" abluvmus@earthlink.net from countryqueens@yahoogroups.com
ITS A WEEPER
Pam Tillis knew when
she first heard "Please," the first single off Thunder and Roses, that she had a
real keeper -- and weeper. "There
have been a few songs in my life that the first time I heard them I cried, and that was
one of them," she
says. (WGAR)
3/07/01 courtesy
of "Abbey" abluvmus@earthlink.net
from countryqueens@yahoogroups.com
SHERRIE IS FINE AFTER
BLACKING OUT MONDAY
Sherrie Austin passed out
Monday just before a seven-day run at a northern Nevada casino. Sherrie was taken to a
hospital in nearby Twin Falls, Idaho, but she was released after spending only a short
length of time there. She plans to perform tonight and was said to be feeling fine. Wanna
see for yourself? Sherrie, who recently signed to a new indie label, performs on the
televised portion of the Grand Ole Opry March 31. She also does two in-store performances
at Tower Records that day, the first at 2 p.m. at the West End store and the second at the
Opry Mills Tower. Her new single, a cover of the Dolly Parton hit Jolene, goes to radio
this week. (Tennesseean)
3/07/01 courtesy
of "Abbey" abluvmus@earthlink.net
from countryqueens@yahoogroups.com
FAITH MAKES 10 MOST
WANTED HAIRSTYLES LIST
Faith Hill is one
celebrity who could wear a paper bag and look fantastic. Now there's even more proof that
no matter what, Faith's style is one that makes us sit up and take notice. Despite what
seemed like a lot of negative publicity Faith's razored locks took after she showed off
her new look on the "People's Choice Awards" in January - Faith's new style is
among the Top 10 most requested hairstyles at top salons around the country, according to
a poll conducted by US magazine. The only country artist on the list, Faith' s look came
in at #5, topped by Rene Russo, Katie Couric, Jennifer Aniston, and Meg Ryan, who had the
most-requested 'do. Other celebrities who rounded out the list included Cameron Diaz,
Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Winona Ryder, and Halle Berry. And not only has her hairstyle
charted in the Top Ten -- according to her official website, Faith is also celebrating the
success of her current single, "If My Heart Had Wings," which holds the #8 spot
on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. (T-100)
3/07/01 courtesy of "Abbey" abluvmus@earthlink.net from countryqueens@yahoogroups.com
LEANN GOES GLOBAL
The latest episode of the
"Music In High Places" series, which features LeAnn Rimes, is now available
online and to DirecTV subscribers. For her special, LeAnn visited the Yucatan Peninsula
and performed 12 songs in various locations. One of the most amazing might be her acoustic
rendition of "I Need You," which she performed at the famed ruins of Chichen
Itza. Apart from the soulful performance sharp fans will notice that LeAnn seems to be
sporting a tattoo on her right bicep. Not to worry though - in another segment, the
decoration isn't there at all - it was just a temporary tattoo. Meanwhile, LeAnn says she
was thrilled to participate in the series for two reasons. First off, she wanted to go
somewhere she'd never been before and secondly, she loved the idea of exploring her music
in "an organic place." LeAnn says, quote, "Normally, [an artist] is either in a studio or performing
onstage. Being able to sing on a beach or at the Mayan ruins is definitely a surreal
experience." LeAnn also
sings her heart out at the Izamal Pyramid and in Cancun. To see it all, plus exclusive
"Behind the Scenes" footage and more, log on to http://MusicInHighPlaces.com. (T-100)
3/06/01 courtesy of "Abbey" abluvmus@earthlink.net from countryqueens@yahoogroups.com
CHICKS PASS 18 MILLION MARK
Combined sales of the
Dixie Chicks two albums has now moved past 18 million
copies. (Nashville Update)
3/06/01 courtesy
of "Abbey" abluvmus@earthlink.net
from countryqueens@yahoogroups.com
NEW FACES SHOW
The CRS New Faces show featured
a new format to present five rising acts, PHIL VASSAR (Arista), SARA EVANS (RCA,) TRICK
PONY (Warner Bros), CHRIS CAGLE (Capitol) and THE CLARK FAMILY EXPERIENCE (Curb). For the
first time each act was introduced by a produced video piece (Phil Vassar played a James
Bond-like character for instance). Vassar proved he could turn in a
dynamic show even if he wasn't sitting behind a piano throughout. Strong vocals and
material marked his four-song set. SARA EVANS has been on the scene longest of the acts
and, not surprisingly, hers was the most solid and confident set. ALL PERFORMANCES brought
great energy to the stage, with CHRIS CAGLE and TRICK PONY each turning in intensely
exciting shows. CLARK FAMILY EXPERIENCE: The six oldest members of an 11 kid, musical
family, showcased their versatility, their wholesome good looks and GQ dress, their family
harmonies and ensemble excitement. (Nashville Update)
3/03/01 courtesy of "Abbey" abluvmus@earthlink.net from countryqueens@yahoogroups.com
CMT Makes Programming Changes
March brings new
programming changes to CMT. The CMT Top 12 Countdown expands to a two-hour format with a
new name, CMT Top 20 Countdown. The show will continue to feature the week's hottest
country videos and special features such as the Pick Hit, Sneak Peek and Breakout Video.
In addition, familiar shows such as Best of Showcase and Face the Music Videos begin
airing nightly, Monday - Thursday, at 11 p.m. and 11:30 p.m., respectively, all times
Eastern. CMT Request Line goes from two hours to one hour, airing weeknights at 8 p.m. ET,
and CMT Hit Trip will air Monday - Saturday at 4 p.m. ET. CMT will add Life and Times, a
biographical series focusing on the lives and careers of country artists. The first week's
episodes, beginning Monday (March 5), include documentaries on Diamond Rio, Lorrie Morgan,
Charlie Daniels, Hank Williams and Jeff Foxworthy. (country.com)
3/01/01 courtesy of "Abbey" abluvmus@earthlink.net from countryqueens@yahoogroups.com
SARA EVANS HAS TWO ACM
NODS
2001 continues to be a good year
for Sara Evans. She's been nominated for two ACM nominations for Top Female Vocalist and
Vocal Event ("That's The Beat of A Heart" with the Warren Brothers. Says Evans, "I'm overwhelmed and excited by these two
nominations. Being in the Female Vocalist category with women whom I truly admire makes
the nomination even more of an honor. And working with the Warren Brothers was great, so
I'm glad that's getting recognized." (Nashville Update)
3/01/01 courtesy
of "Abbey" abluvmus@earthlink.net
from countryqueens@yahoogroups.com
DOES TAMMY COCHRAN HAVE SOME
"ANGELS"IN HER CORNER?
Two months before her
debut album hits stores, newcomer Tammy Cochran has an ACM nomination in the Top New
Female Vocalist category to celebrate. Of the
honor, Tammy says, quote, "This
is an incredible thrill for me. This has been my dream for as long as I can remember, and
it really reinforces all the decisions and sacrifices I've made to get to this
point." Among those
choices, Tammy chose band gear over the offer of a new car from her parents when she was
16 and "Nashville-or-bust" over college. Even jaded Nashvillians have been
getting behind Tammy in droves. Plus, she just made her debut at the Grand Ole Opry last
weekend, when she performed "Angels In Waiting," the touching tribute to her two
older brothers who died of cystic fibrosis. You can see what all the fuss is about when
Tammy Cochran hits stores May 1st. (T-100)
3/01/01 courtesy
of "Abbey" abluvmus@earthlink.net
from countryqueens@yahoogroups.com
PATTY RECORDS ALBUM OF
'MOUNTAIN BLUES'
Patty Loveless' next album is an
acoustic project she recorded at a studio in a barn south of Nashville. While some may
call it bluegrass, Patty likes to refer to it as "mountain blues." Joining her
at the studio were Travis Tritt, Ricky Skaggs and a "who's who" of Nashville's
acoustic music community. Explaining why they chose such a remote studio, Patty says,
quote, "We wanted to be out in
the country. We had dogs and horses and just the whole bit. We'd go out and yell at each
other and cut up. It was so much fun. We didn't feel like we had to impress anybody. The
setting was just perfect. It was like family. The only thing we didn't have was barbecue." Patty and the musicians settled on a
simple approach to recording the album. She says, quote, "There were moments when we
were all singing and playing around one microphone. It was very rough, but to listen to
it, it's so pure. I can't wait for people to hear this record. It's almost like we're
standing on stage and you're seeing a live performance." As for when we can enjoy it,
Patty says the album is tentatively set for release in June. (T-100)
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