Country Chatter Archive (March 22nd - March 28th, 1999)

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March 22nd - March 28th Pam Tillis has joined with Feed The Children to help needy families in New York City. She participated in a "food drop" last Monday, which brought four semi-tractor trucks of baby food and 2500 food boxes, each holding 25 lbs of food staples such as cereal, vegetables and pasta. Pam is currently in New York playing in the Broadway play, Smokey Joe's Cafe. Lee Roy Parnell is working on a Greatest Hits Album. It will have past hits and two new songs, "She Won't Be Lonely Long" and "Long Way to Fall". All the songs are recorded, and they're starting the artwork now. Look for a single to come out in May. Speaking of new albums, Dwight Yoakam will be releasing a greatest hits album in May called, "Last Chance For A Thousand Years: Dwight Yoakam's Greatest Hits From The '90s." It will feature 11 hits, plus 3 new songs. He'll also be starting a North American tour this summer starting the end of June through early September. Dwight also plans to release a book of lyrics called, "A Long Way Home: Twelve Years Of Words," on April 18th. It will contain 61 song lyrics that he wrote or co-wrote, spanning his entire Reprise recording career, beginning with his 1986 debut album, Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. and concluding with his last studio album, A Long Way Home. Faith Hill is launching her first solo tour in Minneapolis, MN on April 9th. This tour will be called "Faith Hill's This Kiss Tour," and will mark the start of a nationwide book drive to support literacy programs. Each fan attending a concert will be asked to bring a new or gently used children's book, and this will get them the chance to meet Faith that night. The books will be collected and donated to local schools. The story behind the accident George Jones had is taking a new twist. Apparently, there were two 911 calls made reporting a vehicle driving erratically on the road that Jones was taking the afternoon of his accident. The one call mentioned him by name. For some reason these calls didn't surface until after it was mentioned that an opened vodka bottle was found under the passenger seat in Jones' vehicle. Now the THP has said they want to find out who these people were. This is where Carol Simcox comes into the story. Simcox states that Jones was driving with his left turn signal on, and weaving back and forth between lanes. Four days after she made the call, she called back to remind them about her 911 call, and suggest there might be more to the story. The THP's report was turned over to the District Attorney last Monday, and the results should be known soon. Right now, the DA says the only possible wrongdoing would be the open vodka bottle, breaking the open container law, which carries with it a fine. As for charging Jones with drunk driving, he can't make that decision until he has the full report. And so the story continues... Tammy Wynette's home is up for sale. The home has some interesting history as it used to belong to Hank Williams Sr.. Tammy's husband, George Richey still lives there, so there are no news cameras allowed, but here are some of the features: They include a master suite with fireplace and a Roman spa bathroom full of marble. The home also has six other bedrooms, three on each floor. There’s also an office and a library, plus a heated pool out back. The asking price is $1.3 million dollars. Lila McCann says that she remembered this year to tell her manager to keep room open in September this year for her to attend her prom. The high school jr. missed her prom last year because she forgot to mention it. That won't happen this year. Luke Scott, son of Ridley Scott ("Alien," "Blade Runner") will direct Deana Carter's next video, "Angels Working Overtime" starting the end of March. The song is very special to Deana, as she says they were in the studio, having just finished doing the song in one take, and were listening to it. And the drummer goes, "One!" and counts down, and the clock clicked on 11:11. This is really significant to Deana as she's been told that eleven eleven is the time all the angels line up in heaven and sing positive praises to the world. Other significant "eleven eleven's" for Deana were, she became engaged to Chris DiCroce on 11/11/94, they married on 11/11/95, and "Strawberry Wine" hit number one on the charts on 11/11/96. In shocking news, country legend, Ray Price was arrested last week for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia at his Texas ranch. He was also fined $700.00. This year's fan fair will have a new closing event, a five kilometer charity run called Run on the Row. The group BlackHawk will host the event, which will benefit a division of the T.J. Martell Foundation at Nashville's Cancer Center. In other T.J. Martell news, First Auction and the T. J. Martell Foundation will team together to produce online celebrity auctions. Weekly auctions will begin in April. "Star Bid 99" a large-scale online auction that will begin in April and conclude on May 13, 1999, will showcase approximately 300 celebrity-related items. One of the items is a signed poster and CD from the Dixie Chicks. The ACM Awards will have some great talent lined up with Garth Brooks, Brooks and Dunn, Reba McEntire, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Jo Dee Messina, and the Dixie Chicks all signed on to perform. What a show that will be! The British Country Music Awards were held last week, and the winners are: MALE VOCALIST - Vince Gill FEMALE VOCALIST - Reba McEntire ALBUM - The Key - Vince Gill GROUP - The Mavericks RISING STAR - Dixie Chicks BLUEGRASS - Alison Krauss and Union Station ARTIST ON AN INDEPENDENT LABEL - Heather Myles Congrats to them all! Toby Keith and Mercury Records have had a parting of the ways. Toby's only comment was, "I look forward to moving ahead with new opportunities." His current single is "If a Man Answers." Tim McGraw says daughter Gracie is going to think she grew up in a trailer park. Why you ask? Tim says on the George Strait Country Music Tour, there are about 15 - 20 buses, parked side by side. Tim continues, "When we stop on a tour we set up a little tent. We roll out some astro-turf green carpet for Gracie. We put up a little blow-up pool. We even put up some pink flamingos." Well, I don't know about that. I live in a trailer park, and there isn't any astro-turf or pink flamingos anywhere near me. :) Patty Loveless just released her greatest-hits collection, however she doesn't have any immediate plans to tour. She and hubby, Emory Gordy, Jr. will be building a new house. She says they've been dreaming about building a home for years, and this is the year that they are going to do it. Clint Black, and wife Lisa Hartman-Black with their four dogs, Cole, Sunny, Radar and Mokey will grace next year's Ralston-Purina Incredible Dogs calendar. Proceeds from sales of the calendars will go to Tony LaRussa's Animal Rescue Foundation. Dixie Chick, Emily Erwin has set the date for her wedding to singer, Charlie Robison. They'll marry on May 1st in Bandera, TX. Can ya believe it? Sawyer Brown is 18 years old as of April 1st. And that's no joke!

March 22nd - March 28th

Pam Tillis has joined with Feed The Children to help needy families in New York City.

She participated in a "food drop" last Monday, which brought four semi-tractor trucks of baby food and 2500 food boxes, each holding 25 lbs of food staples such as cereal, vegetables and pasta.

Pam is currently in New York playing in the Broadway play, Smokey Joe's Cafe.

Lee Roy Parnell is working on a Greatest Hits Album. It will have past hits and two new songs, "She Won't Be Lonely Long" and "Long Way to Fall". All the songs are recorded, and they're starting the artwork now. Look for a single to come out in May.

Speaking of new albums, Dwight Yoakam will be releasing a greatest hits album in May called, "Last Chance For A Thousand Years: Dwight Yoakam's Greatest Hits From The '90s." It will feature 11 hits, plus 3 new songs. He'll also be starting a North American tour this summer starting the end of June through early September.

Dwight also plans to release a book of lyrics called, "A Long Way Home: Twelve Years Of Words," on April 18th. It will contain 61 song lyrics that he wrote or co-wrote, spanning his entire Reprise recording career, beginning with his 1986 debut album, Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. and concluding with his last studio album, A Long Way Home.

Faith Hill is launching her first solo tour in Minneapolis, MN on April 9th. This tour will be called "Faith Hill's This Kiss Tour," and will mark the start of a nationwide book drive to support literacy programs.

Each fan attending a concert will be asked to bring a new or gently used children's book, and this will get them the chance to meet Faith that night. The books will be collected and donated to local schools.

The story behind the accident George Jones had is taking a new twist. Apparently, there were two 911 calls made reporting a vehicle driving erratically on the road that Jones was taking the afternoon of his accident. The one call mentioned him by name.

For some reason these calls didn't surface until after it was mentioned that an opened vodka bottle was found under the passenger seat in Jones' vehicle.

Now the THP has said they want to find out who these people were. This is where Carol Simcox comes into the story.

Simcox states that Jones was driving with his left turn signal on, and weaving back and forth between lanes. Four days after she made the call, she called back to remind them about her 911 call, and suggest there might be more to the story.

The THP's report was turned over to the District Attorney last Monday, and the results should be known soon. Right now, the DA says the only possible wrongdoing would be the open vodka bottle, breaking the open container law, which carries with it a fine.

As for charging Jones with drunk driving, he can't make that decision until he has the full report.

And so the story continues...

Tammy Wynette's home is up for sale. The home has some interesting history as it used to belong to Hank Williams Sr.. Tammy's husband, George Richey still lives there, so there are no news cameras allowed, but here are some of the features:

They include a master suite with fireplace and a Roman spa bathroom full of marble. The home also has six other bedrooms, three on each floor. There’s also an office and a library, plus a heated pool out back.

The asking price is $1.3 million dollars.

Lila McCann says that she remembered this year to tell her manager to keep room open in September this year for her to attend her prom. The high school jr. missed her prom last year because she forgot to mention it. That won't happen this year.

Luke Scott, son of Ridley Scott ("Alien," "Blade Runner") will direct Deana Carter's next video, "Angels Working Overtime" starting the end of March. The song is very special to Deana, as she says they were in the studio, having just finished doing the song in one take, and were listening to it. And the drummer goes, "One!" and counts down, and the clock clicked on 11:11. This is really significant to Deana as she's been told that eleven eleven is the time all the angels line up in heaven and sing positive praises to the world.

Other significant "eleven eleven's" for Deana were, she became engaged to Chris DiCroce on 11/11/94, they married on 11/11/95, and "Strawberry Wine" hit number one on the charts on 11/11/96.

In shocking news, country legend, Ray Price was arrested last week for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia at his Texas ranch. He was also fined $700.00.

This year's fan fair will have a new closing event, a five kilometer charity run called Run on the Row. The group BlackHawk will host the event, which will benefit a division of the T.J. Martell Foundation at Nashville's Cancer Center.

In other T.J. Martell news, First Auction and the T. J. Martell Foundation will team together to produce online celebrity auctions. Weekly auctions will begin in April. "Star Bid 99" a large-scale online auction that will begin in April and conclude on May 13, 1999, will showcase approximately 300 celebrity-related items.

One of the items is a signed poster and CD from the Dixie Chicks.

The ACM Awards will have some great talent lined up with Garth Brooks, Brooks and Dunn, Reba McEntire, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Jo Dee Messina, and the Dixie Chicks all signed on to perform. What a show that will be!

The British Country Music Awards were held last week, and the winners are:

MALE VOCALIST - Vince Gill
FEMALE VOCALIST - Reba McEntire
ALBUM - The Key - Vince Gill
GROUP - The Mavericks
RISING STAR - Dixie Chicks
BLUEGRASS - Alison Krauss and Union Station
ARTIST ON AN INDEPENDENT LABEL - Heather Myles

Congrats to them all!

Toby Keith and Mercury Records have had a parting of the ways. Toby's only comment was, "I look forward to moving ahead with new opportunities."

His current single is "If a Man Answers."

Tim McGraw says daughter Gracie is going to think she grew up in a trailer park. Why you ask?

Tim says on the George Strait Country Music Tour, there are about 15 - 20 buses, parked side by side. Tim continues, "When we stop on a tour we set up a little tent. We roll out some astro-turf green carpet for Gracie. We put up a little blow-up pool. We even put up some pink flamingos."

Well, I don't know about that. I live in a trailer park, and there isn't any astro-turf or pink flamingos anywhere near me. :)

Patty Loveless just released her greatest-hits collection, however she doesn't have any immediate plans to tour. She and hubby, Emory Gordy, Jr. will be building a new house. She says they've been dreaming about building a home for years, and this is the year that they are going to do it.

Clint Black, and wife Lisa Hartman-Black with their four dogs, Cole, Sunny, Radar and Mokey will grace next year's Ralston-Purina Incredible Dogs calendar. Proceeds from sales of the calendars will go to Tony LaRussa's Animal Rescue Foundation.

Dixie Chick, Emily Erwin has set the date for her wedding to singer, Charlie Robison. They'll marry on May 1st in Bandera, TX.

Can ya believe it? Sawyer Brown is 18 years old as of April 1st. And that's no joke!

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