2001 was a year when Country Music looked back at its roots. One of the biggest hits of the year was the O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack, which was filled with lots of rootsy country music and bluegrass tunes. The songs on the album got virtually no radio play, yet the album has sold over 3 million copies. Amazing!

The soundtrack's success lead many of the artists that performed on it to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City in June. The show was well received and the artists are planning a full tour next year. The artists also performed in other locations, including Nashville, where the performance was recorded and another album released; Down From The Mountain. While the performance was taped for audio, it was also filmed and a video was recorded which included the performance as well as interviews and backstage banter with the artists.

I've listed the major events that happened during the year in monthly segments.

7th: People's Choice Awards: Garth Brooks and Faith Hill are honored with the Male and Female Country artist award.

8th: American Music Awards: Faith Hill takes home three awards; pop/rock and country female artist as well as the country album award for Breathe. Hubby, Tim McGraw takes home the male country artist awards.

26th: Reba McEntire makes her Broadway debut in the title role of "Annie Get Your Gun," and signs on to star in a sitcom for the WB network. In July, she joins fellow country divas, Sara Evans, Martina McBride, Jamie O'Neal, and Carolyn Dawn Johnson for the "Girls Night Out" tour.

2nd: LeAnn Rimes posts a message on her website http://www.rimestimes.com condemming Curb Records album I Need You, which she says was released without her consent. These comments add fuel to the fire in her legal battle with the label to get out of her contract, which she signed at age 12. In March a judge decides that she can't break her contract, but by November the star had signed a new contract with Curb.

7th: Dale Evans, wife of the late Roy Rogers passed away. She was 88.

11th: Johnny Cash enters a Nashville hospital with pneumonia. He's released on the 21st, but is admitted twice in October for bronchitis.

12th: Vince Gill and Amy Grant have their first child together, a girl; Corrina Grant Gill. Corrina was 7 lbs 9 1/4 oz and 19 1/2 inches long.

21st: Two weeks after performing a live two-hour television concert (A&E Live by Request), Loretta Lynn is hospitalized with pneumonia, where she stays for two weeks, then returns home to recover.

22nd: Garth Brooks, Roy Clark and Vince Gill are among the artists that put together a benefit for Opry star, Johnny Russell to help pay the singer/songwriters medical bills. Russell later dies in July of complications.

8th: Van Stephenson of BlackHawk dies of melanoma. He was 45.

24th: Tim McGraw celebrates the release of Set This Circus Down with free performances in New York and Nashville.

8th: Clint Black and Lisa Hartman Black had their first child, a girl; Lily Pearl Black. Her picture was shown the following night at the ACM awards broadcast and Clint's website http://www.clintblack.com crashed due to all the people logging on to see the photo of Lily.

9th: ACM Awards: LeAnn Rimes hosts the Academy of Country Music Awards for the first time. Dixie Chicks and Lee Ann Womack take home three ACMs each. The Chicks win for the video "Goodbye Earl," group, and Entertainer of the Year. Lee Ann wins for song, single and vocal event for "I Hope You Dance." Toby Keith wins Male Vocalist and Album of the Year for "How Do You Like Me Now?!" Faith Hill takes home Female Vocalist. Brooks & Dunn take home the Duo award. Rascal Flatts nab the New Group, Jamie O'Neal takes the New Female, and keith urban the New Male. Barbara Mandrell and Kenny Rogers received career-honoring awards.

12th: Darryl Worley married longtime girlfriend, Beverly Dean Irvin in Savannah, TN.

23rd: In a nine-day trial Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney are acquitted of assault charges stemming from the famous horse incident in New York.

4th: John Hartford dies of non-Hodgkins lymphoma. He was 63.

13th: TNN & CMT Country Weekly Music Awards - George Strait and Alan Jackson are big winners at the awards with Alan taking home five awards and George three. Faith Hill wins Female and the Dixie Chicks win Group/Duo.

13th: Artists from the "O Brother, Where Art Thou" perform at Carnegie Hall. A full tour featuring most of the artists will start in 2002.

14th: Fan Fair draws a record 124,000 people over the weekend.

30th: Chet Atkins dies of cancer in Nashville. He was 77.

3rd: Johnny Russell dies of complications of diabetes. He was 61.

17th: Sony sues the Dixie Chicks for breach of contract.

10th: Martie Seidel married her fiance' Gareth Maguire in Hawaii. The couple plan a formal ceremony next summer in Ireland with their families.

12th: Shania Twain and John "Mutt" Lange have their first child, a boy; Eja (pronounced Asia.)

4th: Trace Adkins and wife Rhonda add another daughter to their family; Brianna.

10th: Chris Cagle marries his "first love," Elizabeth Filer in Houston, TX.

29th: Farm Aid takes place at the Verizon Wireless Music Center in Noblesville, IN. The concert features Willie Nelson, John Mellancamp, Dave Matthews and others.

29th: Lorrie Morgan and Sammy Kershaw marry in a small ceremony.

4th: International Bluegrass Music Awards: Rhonda Vincent takes home three awards. Nickel Creek win for Instrumental Group, and Nickel Creek bandmember Chris Thile wins for Mandolin musician.

21st: The Country Freedom Concert is held in Nashville to benefit the Salvation Army's Disaster Relief Efforts. Among those participating were George Strait, Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Martina McBride, Tim McGraw, the Charlie Daniels Band, Vince Gill, George Jones, Lonestar, Lee Ann Womack, and Sara Evans.

28th: The Swampstock: Tim McGraw's annual benefit is held in Rayville, LA. It's a celebrity softball game followed by a concert. The show featured performances by Martina McBride, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, and the Warren Brothers, as well as McGraw and his wife, Faith Hill.

7th: CMA Awards are broadcast and are one of the highlights of country music this year. The performances are excellent. O Brother Where Art Thou wins album of the year, and the song, "I Am A Man of Constant Sorrow" wins Single of the Year, while "Murder on Music Row" takes Song of the Year. Male Vocalist goes to Toby Keith. Female Vocalist goes to Lee Ann Womack. Group goes to Lonestar. Duo goes to Brooks & Dunn. Collaboration goes to Brad Paisley with George Jones, Bill Anderson and Buck Owens with "Too Country." Video of the Year goes to Sara Evans for "Born to Fly," and Entertainer of the Year goes to Tim McGraw. Horizon Award goes to keith urban.

12th: Chalee Tennison marries Mark Gillespie in a private ceremony in Pigeon Forge, TN.

14th: Garth Brooks plays a sold-out concert in Los Angeles. This is the first of three shows to be broadcast on CBS as live specials. The second show was held on the USS Enterprise in Norfolk, VA, and the last was held on San Padre Island in Texas.

4th: Lila McCann leaves her teens behind as she becomes 20 on this day.

6th: Faith Hill and Tim McGraw have their third daughter, Audrey Caroline.

16th: Loretta Lynn carries the Olympic torch in Louisville, KY.

21st: Trisha Yearwood's Inside Out album chosen as one of People Magazine's 10 Best In Music.